Defending Privacy at the U.S. Border: A Guide for Travelers Carrying Digital Devices

A series of unfortunate court decisions allows border agents to search travelers' laptops, mobile phones, and other digital devices without limitation at the United States border. These searches are relatively rare, but they continue to occur and could become more routine as computer forensics gets cheaper and agents develop new ways of targeting particular travelers. How can international travelers protect themselves when they cross the United States border?

Marcia Hofmann and Seth Schoen of the Electronic Frontier Foundation will provide a clear, up-to-date, and thorough overview of this issue for all travelers to the U.S. based on their recently published white paper "Defending Privacy at the U.S. Border: A Guide for Travelers Carrying Digital Devices." This presentation combines legal and technical perspectives, discussing the law and policies that apply when international travelers enter or leave the United States, as well as various ways that travelers can safeguard electronic devices and digital information at the border.