Nov 13, 2019

Court rules against warrantless searches of international travelers' devices

Los Angeles International Airport in Los Angeles. Photo: Daniel Slim/AFP via Getty Images

A federal judge in Boston ruled Tuesday that warrantless government searches of international travelers' phones and laptops at airports and other U.S. ports of entry are unconstitutional.

Why it matters: The ruling enhances the Fourth Amendment protections of international travelers who enter the country, said Esha Bhandari, an attorney with the American Civil Liberties Union, which filed the lawsuit along with the Electronic Frontier Foundation.

"The government has vigorously defended the searches as a critical tool to protect America," AP notes.

What they're saying: "Border officers must now demonstrate individualized suspicion of contraband before they can search a traveler’s device," the ACLU said in a news release.

Read the judgment:

Go deeper: Supreme Court weighs judicial role, human impact of ending DACA

Go deeper

Axios

Updated 2 hours ago - Politics & Policy

Coronavirus dashboard

Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios

Global: Total confirmed cases as of 12 p.m. ET: 10,920,457 — Total deaths: 522,385 — Total recoveries — 5,789,032 — Map.
U.S.: Total confirmed cases as of 12 p.m. ET: 2,753,754 — Total deaths: 128,871 — Total recoveries: 781,970 — Total tested: 33,462,181 — Map.
Public health: The states where face coverings are mandatory — Fauci says it has been a "very disturbing week" for the spread of the coronavirus in the U.S.
Business: Top business leaders urge the White House to develop mandatory mask guidelines.
Economy: The economy may recover just quickly enough to kill political interest in more stimulus.
States: Florida reports more than 10,000 new coronavirus cases, and its most-infected county issues curfew.

Go deeper (<1 min. read)

Rashaan Ayesh

3 hours ago - Sports

Washington Redskins to review team name amid public pressure

Photo: Patrick McDermott/Getty Images

The Washington Redskins have announced they will be conducting a review of the team's name after mounting pressure from the public and corporate sponsors.

Why it matters: This review is the first formal step the Redskins are taking since the debate surrounding the name first began. It comes after weeks of discussions between the team and the NFL, the team said.

Go deeper (1 min. read)

Dan Primack

4 hours ago - Economy & Business

Scoop: Instacart raises another $100 million

Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios Visuals

Grocery delivery company Instacart has raised $100 million in new funding, on top of the $225 million it announced last month, the company tells Axios. This brings its valuation to $13.8 billion.

Why it matters: This funding comes at what could be an inflection point for Instacart, as customers it acquired during coronavirus lockdowns decide whether they want to continue with the service or resume in-person grocery shopping.