Missed this one. Gawd:
Earlier this week, the Ninth Circuit issued a ruling in United States v. Arnold that the Fourth Amendment’s “reasonable suspicion” requirement does not apply to the search of a laptop during an international border crossing. The court rejected Arnold’s argument that a laptop should be treated similarly to a home or office for privacy purposes, holding instead that a laptop was akin to a traveler’s luggage. George Washington University Law School Professor Orin Kerr discusses the holding in more detail at the Volokh Conspiracy blog.
Yeah, my laptop bag has a handle, so it’s luggage and so is what’s in it.
Then again, it doesn’t have wheels on the bottom. So maybe it’s not luggage?
I’d call this decision stupid, except that the effect of the stupidity is to contract, once again, the zone where government lets me alone. So it’s stupid in the way that the Village wants to be stupid.
Of course, I’m sure this precedent will never be applied domestically.
Front page
Yes, Lambert. Please keep an eye out for this kind of thing.
I like hearing your thoughts on topics like this. More of the same, please!
krist, i thought people here already knew:
if you travel, you *must* have a second “travel” computer. haven’t we all been paying attention? TSA is a corrupt, crony, authoritarian joke of a “security” agency. the people who work for it are petty, corrupt, venal, hateful, racist and likely not democrats, in many cases. also, let’s just imagine how easy it would be, with all that power, so little education, and a mob friend or two.
TSA dood: fuck this, i’m only making 45K a year and i’ve got to sniff people’s shoes all day.
Mobster: but you have such power! would you like to make more?
TSA dood: sure, it’s not like anyone is going to promote me, and in truth i enjoy making women/niggers/muslims/faggots nervous. it gets me off.
Mobster: well, here’s what you do. the next time someone you don’t like brings thru a computer, make them turn it on, and download all their files. i’ll show you how to do it, it’s easy and with your security clearances, you don’t even have to save it to disc. just send it to me in an email. i’ll pay you 100$ every time you do. and hook you up with one of my russian slave girls i recently imported.
TSA dood: can i tell my buds about this?
Mobster: no need, i already have.