i know suresh will complain of EFF exaggeration, but it does annoy me that it's perfectly legal for US customs agents to search laptops [1]. it's just not clear what for. i do believe some other countries occasionally run searches for pirated movies.
"Now that US customs agents have unfettered access to laptops and other electronic devices at borders, a coalition of travel groups, civil liberties advocates and technologists is calling on Congress to rein in the Department of Homeland Security's search and seizure practices. They're also providing practical advice on how to prevent trade secrets and other sensitive data from being breached." 1. http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/05/01/electronic_searches_at_us_borders/
