I’m not sure how this one got by me. CNet is reporting that 3 days ago the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals stated “… That border police may conduct random searches of laptops without search warrants or probable cause. These searches can include seizing the laptop and subjecting it to extensive forensic analysis.â€? (Link to PDF of the decision.)
The case involves “imagesâ€? (read: child pornography) which were in the defendant’s browser cache but the idea that your laptop could be subjected to “extensive forensic analysisâ€? any (or every) time you cross the US border is a little disturbing.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not a proponent of the abuse of children, photographed or not, but I am a firm believer in the right to privacy and this is one more stone in the wall of the coming US Police State.
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