DHS Can Take Your Computer

Agents with the Department of Homeland Security now have the authority take people's laptops at airports. Not only can they look through your personal files, but they can also keep the laptop and share your data with other agencies. Sounds pretty scary to me!

As part of border search policy, government agents are now authorized to seize electronic devices and inspect documents in them, the document states. The electronic devices might include laptops, cell phones, portable music players or storage devices such as portable hard drives.

Agents with U.S. Customs and Border Protection will also be allowed to translate and share documents with other government agencies.

In our new world where personal identities are constantly stolen, I wouldn't feel comfortable with the government tossing my personal data around like a gym bag. I have lots of personal information on my computer that I don't want just any Joe looking at.

Worse yet, travelers don't have any mechanism to challenge the confiscation. According the the Electronic Frontier Foundation:

Before you get on an airplane, the government wants to sift through the personal details of your life. If the data analysis says you're a security risk, too bad -- you may have no way of challenging the error.

I see some worthy court challenges coming from very invasive policy of the DHS.

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