I found this on Bruce Schneier’s blog.

The U.S. Government has published its policy on laptops and other electronic storage devices at customs border crossings. Here is a quick quote, emphases mine:

Federal agents may take a traveler’s laptop or other electronic device to an off-site location for an unspecified period of time without any suspicion of wrongdoing, as part of border search policies the Department of Homeland Security recently disclosed. Also, officials may share copies of the laptop’s contents with other agencies and private entities for language translation, data decryption, or other reasons, according to the policies, dated July 16 and issued by two DHS agencies, US Customs and Border Protection and US Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

[...]

DHS officials said that the newly disclosed policies — which apply to anyone entering the country, including US citizens — are reasonable and necessary to prevent terrorism.

[...]

The policies cover ‘any device capable of storing information in digital or analog form,’ including hard drives, flash drives, cell phones, iPods, pagers, beepers, and video and audio tapes. They also cover ‘all papers and other written documentation,’ including books, pamphlets and ‘written materials commonly referred to as “pocket trash…”

Wow. I agree with the commenter on Schneier’s blog who wondered where this went (from the U.S. Constitution’s Bill of Rights):

The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.

Of course, the excuse is terrorism. I certainly don’t endorse terrorism in any way, shape or form, but I’m not sure how we justify destroying the rights and freedoms of the masses in the futile attempt to catch people who are (generally) smart enough to evade this search by placing their files in an encrypted file on a server somewhere before passing through the border, then downloading it later.

Yep, it’s another feel good measure, like taking off your shoes at the airport to pass through the security checkpoint. It does nothing to keep people safer and does everything to demean and disrespect the millions of innocent and honest people who pass through these checkpoints daily. Oh, wait. Maybe that’s the point. It’s one more step in teaching the masses to be quiet, submissive, and do what we are told no matter how ridiculous or presumptious or invasive.