- US Customs keeps data from tablets, phones and laptops that were seized from international travelers.
- This data can be viewed by thousands CBP employees for up to 15 year.
- Sen. Ron Wyden is one of the opponents to this practice.
For up to 15 years, thousands of electronic travel data from international travelers are quietly stored in the US Customs and Border Protection database. This database can be viewed by thousands of workers for as long as it takes. The Washington Post reported.
As one of the country’s largest law enforcement agencies, with a workforce of roughly 60,000 people, CBP is not required to have a warrant to search phones, tablets, or laptops — which opponents say is a Constitutional violation of privacy.
Sen. Ron Wyden stated that “Innocent Americans should never be tricked into unlocking laptops and phones.” Let us know by ThursdaySend it to the agency.
It’s widely known to international travelers that CBP can rifle through electronics and belongings, but Wyden, an Oregon Democrat, recently shed light on the agency’s habit of storing data from seized electronics — including contacts, messages, calendars, photos, social media posts, and medical and financial records — in a database more than 2,500 individuals inside the agency have access to.
Other law enforcement agencies, such as the FBI and local police departments, can also access the information in the database. CBP may share copies of documents and devices or portions thereof with Federal, State, and Foreign law enforcement agencies, provided that it is consistent with policy and applicable law. The 2008 CBP Search Authority Policy reads.
WaPo cited Saira Hussain (a staff attorney at Electronic Frontier Foundation), who reported that the database had “few meaningful safeguards” to stop the information being misused.
Hackers Accessible previouslyCBP online data compromised by cyberattack, including photos and license plates.
Lawrence “Rusty,” a CBP spokesperson, said to the Post that CBP follows regulations and that searches “exercised responsibly and judiciously in accordance with the public trust.”
Insider asked several CBP representatives to comment, but they didn’t immediately respond.
