Your entire life is ???? ????? ??? ?????on your phone, and that merits some basic privacy protections.
So ruled the United States District Court of Massachusetts on Nov. 12, declaring that Customs and Border Protection or ICE officials can no longer search the electronics of travelers at the border without individualized suspicion. In other words, it's officially unconstitutional for authorities to seize and search your smartphone or laptop at the border just because they feel like it.
This, it should go without saying, is a good thing — a fact emphasized by EFF senior attorney Sophia Cope.
"This is a great day for travelers who now can cross the international border without fear that the government will, in the absence of any suspicion, ransack the extraordinarily sensitive information we all carry in our electronic devices," observed Cope in an statement emailed to Mashable.
This, of course, has not always been the case. It was just this past April the ACLU revealed that, under oath, border officials admitted to searching whatever electronic devices they felt like.
"The government cannot use the pretext of the 'border' to make an end run around the Constitution," the ACLU wrote at the time. "The border is not a lawless place."
Well, it seems that the courts agree.
Today's decision was the result of a lawsuit brought on behalf of 11 people whose phones or computers were searched without individualized suspicion at the U.S. boarder. The ACLU, the EFF, and the ACLU of Massachusetts filed the suit in September of 2017.
Importantly, this debate is not merely an academic one. In 2017, CBP conducted 30,200 searches of electronic devices at the border. That number was up last year, with the ACLU noting approximately 33,000 searches.
According to the ACLU, "Border officers must now demonstrate individualized suspicion of contraband before they can search a traveler’s device."
In other words, border officials can still search devices — they just have to have a valid reason. As such, definitely still consider encrypting the contents of your phone and laptop.
SEE ALSO: How to protect your phone from border guardsAnd then, the next time you're traveling internationally, you can breathe a deep sigh of relief knowing that your dank digital memes — or private legal, medical, or financial records — are both legally and technically protected against arbitrary boarder guard snooping.
Topics Cybersecurity Privacy
‘JA Redress Movement and Social Justice Today: 30 Years of the Civil Liberties Act’
Apple announces date of iPhone 12 event. Here's what to expect.
Trump is desperate to seem manly. It's hurting us all.
'Star Wars: Squadrons' review: The perfect 2020s spin on a '90s fave
2018 Ashiya Student Ambassadors Arrive in Montebello
Facebook is merging Messenger with Instagram's direct messages
Prince William and Sir David Attenborough launch ￡50 million environmentalism prize
Apple kicks third party speakers and headphones out of its store
Discussing Sexism, Sexual Assault and Violence in the JA Community
Google Photos gets smarter, AI
88 Years of Friendship
'American Murder: The Family Next Door': Netflix true crime review
You can watch some NFL games on Prime Video and Twitch starting this week
Lyft dips toes into food delivery for first time
Go For Broke Sponsors Essay, Performance, Visual Arts Contest
'Prevenge' is the best horror comedy streaming on Shudder
Lenovo’s new laptop has a unique way of storing your earbuds
14 best tweets of the week, including a Jokerfied Watto, smack barm, and pey wet
'Pasadena JAs: Life After Internment' at La Pintoresca Library
'American Murder: The Family Next Door': Netflix true crime review
Remembering Rev. Alfred TsuyukiNational, Local Leaders React to Shinzo Abe's DeathManzanar Pilgrimage Participants Advised to Bring Chairs and UmbrellasNext on ‘Asian Pacific America’: Ben Fong TorresAnime Expo Announces Anime Expo OntarioGoogle Doodle Celebrates Photographer Corky LeeComedy in a ColemanJust Kidding Around at JACCCTorrance City Council Approves WWII Camp WallFun, Food, Bingo for All Ages Russia sent payments quite literally labeled 'to finance election campaign of 2016' I'm a congressman who supports Trump's tax plan, look at this puppy! Target sells fidget spinners with unsafe levels of lead for kids Brits are celebrating the 6 2 women file class Russian ministry of defense tweets video game screenshot to accuse U.S. of cooperating with ISIS The UK again says Uber drivers should get minimum wage, time off—next stop is the Supreme Court This fancy pop Avocado Rat is the millennial version of Pizza Rat Australia votes for marriage equality, and the joy is infectious
0.2301s , 10007.34375 kb
Copyright © 2025 Powered by 【???? ????? ??? ?????】Enter to watch online.Suspicionless searches of electronics at the border ruled unconstitutional,Global Hot Topic Analysis
