[iwalsh]

Unfortunately the same requirement isn't generally understood to hold in these circumstances.

For example, the 9th circuit court of appeals in U.S. vs Davis[1] held that airport searches are "administrative searches" and are permissible in much broader ways than searches while being arrested.

[1] http://cdn.ca9.uscourts.gov/datastore/opinions/2005/06/07/04...

[pdkl95]

From the section [7] of the conclusion (your link, last page):

> The procedure is geared towards detection and deterrence of airborne terrorism [...] This was a limited search, confined in its intrusiveness (both in duration and scope) and in its attempt to discover weapons and explosives.³

> ³This would, perhaps, be a different case if there were improper motives established by the record below or argued in the briefs.

I'd like to know what "weapons and explosives" that might be useful for "airborne terrorism" the TSA thinks it might find buy searching the data on a laptop or phone.

[marshray]

I'm sure they would reply with some number of times that evidence of evil was found by a laptop search (in completely unrelated circumstances).