Lawmakers Introduce Protecting Data at the Border Act

A bicameral and bipartisan group of lawmakers introduced the Protecting Data at the Border Act Tuesday. The authors are Sens. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., as expected (see 1703170019), and Rand Paul, R-Ky., and Reps. Jared Polis, D-Colo., and Blake Farenthold, R-Texas. “By requiring a warrant to search Americans’ devices and prohibiting unreasonable delay, this bill makes sure that border agents are focused on criminals and terrorists instead of wasting their time thumbing through innocent Americans’ personal photos and other data,” Wyden said. The bill “will put an end to the government’s intrusive practices” at the border, Paul said. Wyden’s office posted the 22-page text and a summary. The Center for Democracy and Technology backs the bill, said Greg Nojeim, who directs the center's Freedom, Security and Technology Project: “A search of your cell phone or social media account is a direct look behind the curtain that covers the most intimate aspects of your life. A border stop shouldn't be an excuse for extreme surveillance such as downloading the entire contents of your phone.”