Papers Please!

[SD67]

http://www.acte.org/resources/press_release.php?id=284
More invasions of privacy for travellers
Can you say 1984?

[Maverick]

You really have no idea about the extreme powers that Customs has do you? This article is a very minor part of it. You should do some research on what customs can do, all without any warrant up to and including holding you in person, again without a warrant, until they decide to release you. It's been that way for a long long time. Oh and BTW it's not just US customs that acts that way either.

[Dowding]

It's the same with Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs over here.

Although the Health and Safety Executive is very nearly just as powerful! They can enter a premises and halt production without a warrant etc.

Again, it's been that way for many, many years.

[Ripsnort]

This is all "common sense" stuff, isn't it?  When I travel for work, we use a loaner laptop that is stripped of any proprietary info.
Personally, I never travel with my home laptop over the border. (Shrugs)

1) That you should not carry any confidential, personal information that you do not want examined by third parties on your computer – or other electronic devices. This includes financial data, photographs, and email stored on computers, wireless phones, Blackberries, or iPod-type devices.
2) That you should limit the amount of proprietary business information you carry on your computer, and that it be transmitted before crossing the border so you have access to it in the event your unit is seized.
3) If your laptop also serves as your major home computer, get another one for travel purposes.
4) The Association of Corporate Travel Executives is not advising travellers to hide data from U.S. border authorities, but to take steps to minimize the impact of its loss, or the inability to access it, in the event it is seized.

[Trell]

PGP is your friend.  There is a reason companies like pgp and checkpoint make hard disk encryption.

[Ripsnort]

PGP is your friend.  There is a reason companies like pgp and checkpoint make hard disk encryption.

PGP is awesome!

[SD67]

But then they will just confiscate the laptop completely and you have still lost all your data.
In Queensland all police officers are ex-officio customs officers and as such they have the right to search any person, property or vessel at any time on demand. No warrant required.

[rogwar]

That's been going on for some time now.