Come back with a warrant: Congress should pass the Protecting Data at the Border Act

Our devices hold ever increasing amounts of sensitive information. They should therefore not be searched without a probable cause warrant. That’s why EFF urges Congress to pass @RonWyden and @RandPaul’s Protecting Data at the Border Act. https://t.co/vCAmzFBgik

— EFF (@EFF) October 13, 2021

EFF: "We do not lose our constitutional rights at the border. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), however, believes you do. In fiscal year 2019 alone (before the pandemic curbed international travel), U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers conducted nearly 41,000 electronic device searches without seeking a warrant supported by probable cause of wrongdoing from a judge. Unfettered border searches of electronic devices pose a significant threat to personal privacy. That’s why we urge Congress to pass the Protecting Data at the Border Act, a bill recently re-introduced by Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR) and Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) that would create a warrant requirement for these types of searches, thereby protecting our constitutional rights at the border."

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