This is my favorite part from the page you linked above:

[ The Customs and Border Protection defends the searches, saying the agency does not need to show probable cause to look inside suitcases or laptops.

"We have broad search authority at the borders to determine admissibility and look for anything that may be in violation of criminal law," says agency spokeswoman Lynn Hollinger. ]

(italics were mine)

Gee, that's swell. They need no probable cause to look for anything anywhere, anytime. No suspicion, not even an idea of what they might be looking for.

"Badges? We don't need no stinkin badges."

This reminds me of the BATF sweeps that were occuring 15 years ago. Ah well, they had exactly the effect intended at the time, I suppose this might as well. Human rights is, after all, only a concept held in the mind of man.

i dont care

its like being pat-searched when you enter a large event, its for your own good.

This "pat search" you speak of is all good and well. It's not an invasion of your privacy. Some people carry some deeply personal stuff on their computers, their very lives are invested on them. It's one thing that someone is looking and sees your pictures of you and your wife doing whatever it is you do ... you can blush and be embarrased, and that's that... you get on the plane and work on getting over the violation.

But what about when the computer is taken from you, you're forced to give them your passwords, and you don't get it back?

There's often someone in an organization engaged in illegal activity for their personal gain. Now it is possible that they might get their hands on your computer because their employer, the Government, has absolutely no restraints as to how they handle your private life.

That's like a pat-search?

Guess you need to upload all your confidential stuff before you leave, shred it, and then download it when you arrive. Encrypted of course.

Bet that there will be some kind of legislation before that particular lawsuit is resolved.

They do mandate that you reveal all passwords to them....even if you encrypt the data, they have softwares/programs that can decrypt the info...

Just park it all on Google. It'll be safe there ...

You don't even have to give them the passwords - if the laptop is on, it's vulnerable

wrong. Not all terrorists are muslims. In fact, they were a much smaller threat in the past compared to other terrorist groups. over here, we were under attack from (mainly white) irish terrorists for the best part of ~30+ years, on the basis of religion and independance - predominantly white terrorists like the IRA are no different from other terrorists groups like Hamas, or even al quaeda - in fact, the past situation in ireland, and in israel/palestine and iraq/afghanistan is fairly similar, as theys hare the same set of aims - removing opressors, and religion.