Wyden Questions Border Protection Searching Devices, Saving Data

Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) is raising concerns about US Customs and Border Protection’s practice of searching Americans’ mobile phones and other digital devices at the border and saving some of their downloaded contents in a database.

There’s an exception to search warrant requirements at the border, where security concerns can outweigh privacy considerations. Travelers often are not informed of their rights before their devices are searched, according to an agency briefing with Wyden’s office that the senator cited.

Wyden urged the agency to end its practice of searching devices without a warrant supported by probable cause of a crime.

“Innocent ...