The Washington Post has reported that U.S. federal agents have been given new powers to seize travelers’ notebooks and other electronic devices at the border and hold them for unspecified periods.

The Washington Post said under recently disclosed Department of Homeland Security policies, such seizures might be carried out without suspicion of wrongdoing, quoting policies issued on July 16 by two DHS agencies. DHS officials said the policies applied to anyone entering the country, including U.S. citizens, and were needed to prevent terrorism. In addition, agents are empowered to share the contents of seized computers with other agencies and private entities for data decryption and other reasons.

The measures have long been in place. However, it only disclosed in July, under pressure from business travel and civil liberties groups acting on reports that increasing numbers of international travelers had had their notebooks, cell phones, handhelds and other digital devices removed and examined. In addition, the policies cover cell phones, flash drives, hard drives, iPods, beepers, pagers, and video and audio tapes, as well as books, pamphlets and other written materials.

The policies require U.S. federal agents to take measures to protect business information and attorney-client privileged material. They stipulate that any copies of the data must be eliminated when a review is completed and no probable cause exists to keep the information.

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