Democrats steal the march on laptop searches *again*

Senator Feingold of Wisconsin is offering the most detailed legislative proposal yet to rein in the essentially unfettered authority customs officials have claimed to search laptops, cell phones, and other electronic devices travelers bring into or out of America.

Under a 29-page bill Mr. Feingold introduced on Friday, customs agents at airports and borders would need to document a “reasonable suspicion” before inspecting a computer or similar device carried by an American resident and could only hold on to the device for 24 hours before starting the process of seeking a warrant from a judge.

“Requiring citizens and other legal residents of the United States to submit to a government review and analysis of thousands of pages of their most personal information without any suspicion of wrongdoing is incompatible with the values of liberty and personal freedom on which the United States was founded,” a preamble to the bill declares.
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Senators Akaka of Hawaii, Cantwell of Washington, and Wyden of Oregon, all of whom are Democrats, are co-sponsoring the legislation. - The Sun

Wouldn’t it be refreshing to hear the Republicans call anything “incompatible with the values of liberty and personal freedom on which the United States was founded”? Just for a change?

Previously:

Posted by: Old Grouch in In Passing at 18:37:42 GMT | No Comments | Add Comment
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