The Electronic Frontier Foundation has released a “bust card” for the digital age to let people know their rights when police ask to search their digital devices.
There’s a lot of common sense advice in the document including — importantly — keeping your mouth shut in almost all cases until you talk with your lawyer.
Of course, the right to remain silent is the one everybody already knows. (Thank you Law & Order.) Do you know how to answer these?
- Can the police enter your home to search your computer or portable device?
- Can a roommate give police permission to search your computer?
- If police ask for your passwords, do you have to give it to them?
If you don’t know the answers, you might want to check the link. There’s even a one-page PDF you can download and post as a handy reminder.