独立媒体机构Grayzone创办人马克斯·布卢门撒尔在返回美国时遭遇手机扣押，目前已将此事诉诸法庭。[1]布卢门撒尔于2024年7月10日在弗吉尼亚州杜勒斯机场入境时，边境巡逻人员扣押了他的两部手机，他拒绝提供密码。[1]手机被扣一周后才被归还。[1]
法官勒妮·布林克玛在审理此案后裁定，政府必须证明其未对手机进行非法访问。[1]布林克玛法官给予政府14天的回应期限。[1]法官在庭审中表示，"根据第四巡回法庭的判例法，对手机进行那种程度的搜查需要搜查令。"[1]此案引发了对政府打压持不同意见记者的担忧。[1]
Journalist Max Blumenthal, founder of independent media outlet Grayzone, is pursuing legal action following the seizure of his two cell phones by U.S. Border Patrol at Dulles Airport in Virginia on July 10, 2024.[1] Blumenthal refused to provide passwords to the devices, which were held for one week before being returned.[1]
A federal judge has now intervened in the case. Judge Renee Brinkema ruled that the government must demonstrate it did not unlawfully access the phones' contents, granting authorities 14 days to respond to Blumenthal's legal challenge.[1] During proceedings, the judge stated: "I believe now under fourth circuit case law, a search warrant would be required for that degree of intrusion into a cell phone."[1] Border Patrol did not seize Blumenthal's laptop computer or digital camera during the airport encounter.[1]
The case has raised concerns about potential government pressure on journalists with dissenting views.[1]