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Laptops Can Be Searched At the Border

Posted by kdawson on from the don't-need-no-stinkin'-suspicion dept.

Nothing to Declare notes that a California appeals court has unanimously upheld a ruling that border security officers at international airports can search personal computers without requiring any specific evidence of criminal activity. The appeal was made by US resident Michael Timothy Arnold, charged with child pornography offenses after an airport search of his notebook PC in 2005. Might want to think hard about what's on your laptop if you're going to be passing through a US international airport.

3 of 821 comments (clear)

  1. Workaround: by BobSixtyFour · · Score: 0, Flamebait

    Get a MacBook Air. Apparently they can't tell if its a bomb or not.

    That or load it with Linux, surely those low-IQ'd Americans wont be able to figure it out :P

  2. Re:I Wonder by tommyhj · · Score: 0, Flamebait

    sorry, just have to respond, although it's flamebait... Child porn IS an illegal act, not just loose morals. As is killing someone og stealing or raping or selling drugs to minors...

  3. Re:4th Amendment... by Moridineas · · Score: 1, Flamebait
    Such BS. you're hanging around with someone who was cheating on her boyfriend (bad sign #1), her boyfriend got thrown out of a bar (bad sign #2), shows up at your house when told not to (bad sign #3), and is drunk and making enough of a scene to scare neighbors into calling the police (bad sign #4), AND, you yourself call a "crazy cunt." Anti-patriotic my ass, that's just dumb. Legal--yes, stupid as anything, yes. Shows possible horrific judgement and immaturity on your part--absolutely yes again. Not to mention hanging out with drugged out prostitutes (churlish attempts at humor aside--hilarious that you thought the cop was gay!).

    Not true about hanging out with criminals. If you are hanging out with criminals ENGAGING in criminal activity, that's absolutely a problem. If what you were attempting to say was "I should be able to hang out with anybody...regardless of their PAST criminal activity" you'd be correct.

    You, sir, are the reason they're taking our rights away. You not only let them take away rights, you condone and even encourage it. So was your garage door open or shut? locked or unlocked? side door? side door open or shut? Maybe the old people who were worried (or maybe your daughter called the police if she was worried about the strange woman on the porch?) said your "crazy" friend was messing around in your garage? Who knows. There's absolutely no indication that the police did anything wrong, though your story is suitably lacking in details, no doubt part of your further attempt to forward your ludicrous "police state" theory..

    What right was taken away?