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Feds Want Judge to Force Suspect to Give Up Laptop Password

http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2012/01/laptop-password-5th-amendment/

by jamesbritt • 15 years ago

1 1 15 years ago

WI

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dieselweasel• 15 years ago

A thought experiment:

Let's say I, a Canadian Citizen, asked someone in Canada to enter a passphrase to encrypt the data on my computer but not tell me what the passphrase is until I safely get to my destination.

I cross the border into the US where my laptop is seized.

The case goes to court where a judge orders me to decrypt the contents of the hard drive... but I can't because I don't have the passphrase.

I'm assuming the court would not have the power to order the only person with the passphrase to enter it because they are not in a jurisdiction under the courts control.

What could they compel me to do? What sanctions could they bring to bear against me for not providing information I don't have?

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