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posted by Fnord666 on Saturday January 06 2018, @08:17PM   Printer-friendly
from the just-say-no dept.

Encrypt and lock your electronic devices, because the border agents want to touch them:

Customs officers stationed at the American border and at airports searched an estimated 30,200 cellphones, computers and other electronic devices of people entering and leaving the United States last year — an almost 60 percent increase from 2016, according to Homeland Security Department data released on Friday.

Despite the surge, Customs and Border Protection officials said the searches affected fewer than 1 percent of the more than 300 million travelers who arrived in the United States last year.

Homeland Security officials say border searches are an important investigative tool and are used sparingly by its agents. "In this digital age, border searches of electronic devices are essential to enforcing the law at the U.S. border and to protecting the American people," said John Wagner, the deputy executive assistant commissioner at Customs and Border Protection. Mr. Wagner said the agency was committed to preserving the rights and civil liberties of travelers whose devices are searched.

Also at ABC.


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  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday January 06 2018, @09:11PM (1 child)

    by Anonymous Coward on Saturday January 06 2018, @09:11PM (#618874)

    When we crossed the border i wondered if my vpn activity,etc, might create a fuss at the border. It didn't, but it is always something i'm thinking about.

    Going anon because.

    It's bad that you gotta worry about that kind of thing.
    I had my tablet encrypted and passworded but......

    Too bad free trade doesn't mean free passage.

  • (Score: 2) by frojack on Sunday January 07 2018, @08:51PM

    by frojack (1554) on Sunday January 07 2018, @08:51PM (#619272) Journal

    When we cross the boarder (coming or going) we are never even asked if we HAVE cell phones, or computers. In fact, they've never asked to look into the trunk.
    Waved our passports over the RFID reader then waved us through.
    They never ask a question unless they already know the answer.

    I've gotten much closer inspection driving into California. They wanted to inspect our bag of Oranges.

    --
    No, you are mistaken. I've always had this sig.