EFF releases guide to help international travelers protect files

Last week, the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) released a 21-page guide titled "Defending Privacy at the U.S. Border: A Guide for Travelers Carrying Digital Devices." It contains information on how travelers should backup their data, minimize what they carry with them, and encrypt files.

There are several exceptions to the warrant requirement of the Fourth Amendment, one being the border search exception. At least one federal appellate court has held that there is no requirement of suspicion of criminal activity in order to search technological devices as a person travels to or from the United States. See United States v. Arnold, 533 F.3d 1003 (9th Cir. 2008).