Border laptop searches raise eyebrows

Complaints from travelers and privacy advocates has led some politicos to question U.S. Customs policy allowing agents to search laptops, cell phones and other electronics devices at the border.

While the federal government has argued that such extreme measures are needed for national security, critics alleged that Border Patrol agents are engaging in racial profiling and are overstepping their authority. “Congress should not allow this gross violation of privacy” said Sen. Russell D. Feingold during a subcommittee session on Wednesday as testimony was given for and against the Customs measures.

One senator was caught in a bind when he embarrassingly contradicted himself:

As the hearing began, Senator Brownback, a Republican of Kansas, said the rationale for border searches is "obvious." He noted that a conspirator in the September 11, 2001, attacks on the World Trade Center, Zacarias Moussaoui, kept information on his laptop "that, if discovered, might have prevented" those strikes.

However, later in the session, Mr. Brownback acknowledged a visceral discomfort with government agents rifling through his digital assistant when he crosses the border. "I don't like the idea of coming across with my BlackBerry and somebody saying, 'I want to root around in your whole BlackBerry.' I got a lot of things on there. I don't know what all is on there, in some cases. I don't want people looking at that randomly," the senator said.

Sources- PC World, Los Angeles Times, New York Times, New York Sun

Image- Think Progress