Border Searches of Electronic Devices Are Up

Border searches of electronic devices are up. As the NYT reports, nearly 15,000 devices were searched between October 2016 and March 2017, up from 8,383 in the same period between 2015 and 2016.

This isn’t surprising. Remember in February when a U.S. born NASA scientist had his work phone searched at the border?

Whether they’re searching the electronic devices of U.S. citizens or foreign nationals, the U.S. government wants us to keep in mind two things.

First, they’re not searching everyone. After all, 15,000 searches is a mere drop in the bucket when you consider the 189.6 million travelers that entered the United States during the time those searches took place.

Second, it’s about serious crime. And no one can argue against crime prevention.

“These searches, which affect fewer than one-hundredth of one percent of international travelers, have contributed to national security investigations, arrests for child pornography and evidence of human trafficking,” said John P. Wagner, a deputy assistant commissioner at Customs and Border Protection.

If this bothers you, and it should, the ACLU has some advice about crossing borders with e-devices. (Hint: don’t.)

The Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University has also initiated a FOIA lawsuit. It seeks “disclosure of records concerning suspicionless searches of individuals’ electronic devices at the nation’s borders.”

And Senator Wyden of Oregon introduced Senate Bill 823 on April 4, “A bill to ensure the digital contents of electronic equipment and online accounts belonging to or in the possession of United States persons entering or exiting the United States are adequately protected at the border, and for other purposes.”

-KitJ