TheDepartment of
Homeland Security (DHS)in the US has amended its policy
to seize any electronic device brought into the country, in a bid
to counter criticisms that the policy infringes civil
liberties.
The DHS conducts border searches of computers and other
electronic media on a percentage of international travellers
seeking to enter the US. Most times, the traveller is asked to turn
on a device to ensure it is what it appears to be. But out of the
1,000 laptop searches between October 2008 and August 2009, 46
searches were in-depth.
Secretary Janet Napolitano announced the new directives to
clarify searches of computers and other electronic media at US
ports of entry. "The new directives announced today strike the
balance between respecting the civil liberties and privacy of all
travellers while ensuring DHS can take the lawful actions necessary
to secure our borders," she said.
The changes do not affect the department's ability to conduct
searches of laptops.
In a
blog posting on the previous DHS policy, Eugene Schultz, chief
technology officer at consultancy
Emagined Security, said,
"Computers almost always contain a great deal of personal,
sensitive information in the form of e-mail messages, photographs,
and more- information that people deem private and that would be
embarrassing to them if it were to be viewed by someone else. This
information should thus not be available to DHS border agents at
their whim.
"Additionally, having a computer system seized is very
disruptive to individuals who use the system to get their work
done. Furthermore, people should not have to surrender the password
to a system they own unless there is a compelling rationale to
require the person to do so."