Returning from vacation? The government can search your phone without a warrant.
An immigration advocate is suing the federal government after Customs and Border Protection agents allegedly copied data from his phone at a Miami airport. The case highlights the 'border exemption' policy that allows warrantless device searches.
Why it matters
It raises significant concerns regarding digital privacy rights and the extent of government authority at international borders.
phone home Returning from vacation? The government can search your phone without a warrant. Reminder: The “border exemption” to your rights is real.
38 Text settings Story text Size Small Standard Large Width * Standard Wide Links Standard Orange * Subscribers only Learn more Minimize to nav An Argentinian-American writer and immigration advocate recently sued the federal government, demanding that it delete data that he believes was copied off of his phone when he re-entered the United States earlier this month.
According to the seven-page complaint , Thomas Kennedy said that a Customs and Border Protection agent at Miami International Airport physically searched his bags, questioned him about his books and magazines, and then demanded that he hand over his phone.
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