http://www.tsa.gov/blog/2010/01/can-tsa-copy-your-laptop-hard-drive-and.html



*1.22.2010*

Can TSA Copy Your Laptop Hard Drive and Search Your Files?
<http://www.tsa.gov/blog/2010/01/can-tsa-copy-your-laptop-hard-drive-and.html>

[image: 
http://www.tsa.gov/blog/uploaded_images/laptop_case-700110.jpg]<http://www.tsa.gov/blog/uploaded_images/laptop_case-700117.jpg>I
read 
comments<http://www.gamepolitics.com/2010/01/19/guest-column-tsa-laptop-searches>every
now and then about how TSA officers at checkpoint and baggage
locations can search the files on your laptop and can also confiscate your
computer and copy your hard drive.

This is not true. In fact, we blogged about
it<http://www.tsa.gov/blog/2008/02/rumor-alert-laptops.html>back in
February of 2008.

Our officers might visually inspect your laptop and perform an explosives
trace detection test <http://www.tsa.gov/approach/tech/etd.shtm>, but that’s
it. Our officers don’t even turn computers on during inspection.

So where are the reports coming from? They’re coming from people who have
had their laptops searched by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP). For
more details on CBP’s mission, check out this
post<http://www.dhs.gov/journal/leadership/2008/08/answering-questions-on-border-laptop.html>from
the recently retired Deputy Commissioner at U.S. Customs and Border
Protection, Richard Ahern.

So where is the confusion taking place? Well, many passengers often confuse
CBP with TSA. Why? They have uniforms with the Department of Homeland
Security patch and some people automatically assume they are TSA officers
since they’re working in an airport capacity. TSA and CBP officers have
different uniforms. The CBP uniform is navy
blue<http://206.241.31.146/ImageCache/cgov/content/newsroom/photogallery/inspectors_5fairports/highresimage/air_5fphoto_5f02_2ejpg/v1/air_5fphoto_5f02.jpg>,
while the TSA uniform is more of a royal
blue<http://www.tsa.gov/graphics/images/join/tso_tsif.jpg>.
You will only interact with CBP when you’re coming into the country.

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