Non US citizens have ‘no effective protections’ against NSA data searches
The Senior Adviser for Journalist Security at the US based Committee to Protect Journalists has warned that non US citizens have ‘no effective protections’ against NSA data searches or from having their devices searched as they enter or leave the United States.
"Electronic devices could be searched, copied, or even seized"
Journalist Glenn Greenwald’s partner was detained in a US airport transit lounge following the journalist’s reporting of the NSA data revelations.
Writing on the Committee to Protect Journalists website, Frank Smyth added that last month a National Public Radio producer and members of her family and friends - all U.S. citizens - were detained for six hours at the Niagara Falls border crossing while each of their electronic devices were searched.
However, he added that in California, U.S. border agents must at least have "reasonable suspicion" before searching the data stored on U.S. citizens' electronic devices.
“All the same, U.S. journalists flying in or out of any part of the United States should expect the possibility that their electronic devices could be searched, copied, or even seized,” Smyth wrote.
“Citizens of other nations, including journalists, enjoy no effective protections from having their data searched upon entering or leaving the United States.”
He added that the Canadian Bar Association recently complained that Canadian attorneys have had "the contents of their entire computer hard drives and other storage media" copied "for later review."