The Washington Post Democracy Dies in Darkness

U.S. Customs and Border Protection says photos of travelers were taken in a data breach

By
and 
June 10, 2019 at 7:54 p.m. EDT
Pedestrians and vehicles head into the United States in January along the Paso del Norte International Bridge, which connects the cities of El Paso, Texas, and Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua. (Sarah L. Voisin/The Washington Post)

U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials said Monday that photos of travelers had been compromised as part of a “malicious cyberattack,” raising concerns over how federal officials’ expanding surveillance efforts could imperil Americans’ privacy.

Customs officials said in a statement Monday that the images, which included photos of people’s faces and license plates, had been compromised as part of an attack on a federal subcontractor.