I read a non-privacy-related article this week about how Canadians are taking advantage of the rising Canadian dollar to visit the United States. Apparently, one of the big draws is that there is a better vantage point to experience the upcoming solar eclipse if you’re a bit further south.

While I’m not sure that seeing the sun hide behind the moon would influence my decision to visit the United States at this moment, there’s another cross-border article that makes us think about the privacy rights (or lack thereof) one has at the border.

There’s a good piece by the CBC, and we summarize it below. If you’re the least bit interested in the topic, I encourage you to read it. Here’s a snippet to whet your appetite: "Imagine losing your smartphone or leaving your laptop behind on a train or bus. How much could someone learn about you — your interests, your lifestyle, your habits — based on what they could access on the device? What conclusions could someone make when the photos you’ve taken, the apps you’ve installed and the websites you’ve visited are laid bare? According to the Supreme Court of Canada: quite a few … It was in this context that a Manitoba provincial court judge last year made a significant ruling: just as Section 8 of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms protects Canadians from unreasonable search and seizure, that right should also apply at the border when an officer asks to search your smartphone or laptop."

Interested now? You should be! Read on.

Have a great weekend, and hope you try to squeeze every bit of summer out of it!