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Homeland Security Changes Laptop Search Policy

Posted by kdawson on from the beatings-will-continue-until-morale-improves dept.

IronicToo writes "The US Government has updated its policy on the search and seizure of laptops at border crossing. 'The long-criticized practice of searching travelers' electronic devices will continue, but a supervisor now would need to approve holding a device for more than five days. Any copies of information taken from travelers' machines would be destroyed within days if there were no legal reason to hold the information.'"

2 of 273 comments (clear)

  1. Copying files by Wowsers · · Score: 4, Informative

    There's no "legal" reason to keep files stolen by the uneducated border minions unless:

    1. You are not an American.
    3. You have "trade secrets" that can give American companies a competitive advantage.

    And that's one reason why business travel across the Atlantic / Pacific to the US has declined.

    --
    Take Nobody's Word For It.
  2. Re:5 Days? by shacky003 · · Score: 5, Informative

    Speaking as a former (thank god) district geek manager, there is a hell of a lot more copied regularly from customer pc's than just porn..
    I've fired services techs (now called "geeks") for making copies of personal data including bank/money/quicken databases, address books, etc..