U.S. Agents Can Seize Travelers’ Laptops: Report

WASHINGTON(Reuters) – U.S. federal agents have been given new powers to seizetravelers’ laptops and other electronic devices at the border and holdthem for unspecified periods the Washington Post reported on Friday.

Under recently disclosed Department of Homeland Security policies,such seizures may be carried out without suspicion of wrongdoing, thenewspaper said, quoting policies issued on July 16 by two DHS agencies.

Agents are empowered to share the contents of seized computers withother agencies and private entities for data decryption and otherreasons, the newspaper said.

DHS officials said the policies applied to anyone entering thecountry, including U.S. citizens, and were needed to prevent terrorism.

The measures have long been in place but were only disclosed inJuly, under pressure from civil liberties and business travel groupsacting on reports that increasing numbers of international travelershad had their laptops, cellphones and other digital devices removed andexamined.

The policies cover hard drives, flash drives, cell phones, iPods,pagers, beepers, and video and audio tapes — as well as books,pamphlets and other written materials, the report said.

The policies require federal agents to take measures to protectbusiness information and attorney-client privileged material. Theystipulate that any copies of the data must be destroyed when a reviewis completed and no probable cause exists to keep the information.

(Reporting by Paul Eckert, editing by Alan Elsner)