Friday, January 23, 2026-In a breaking development that strikes at the heart of press freedom and legal safeguards for journalists, a federal judge has temporarily barred the U.S. government from examining electronic devices seized from a Washington Post reporter’s home.
Magistrate Judge William B. Porter issued a standstill order preventing federal prosecutors and investigators from searching the reporter’s phone, laptops, hard drive, and other materials while litigation continues over whether the government must return them. A hearing to decide the fate of the seized data is scheduled for February 6 in federal court in Virginia.
The devices were taken during an FBI raid tied to a leak investigation involving a Pentagon contractor accused of retaining classified national defense information. Although the contractor has been indicted, the reporte, Hannah Natanson is not charged with any wrongdoing. The Washington Post argues that the seizure swept up years of confidential reporting material and communications with sources that have no direct connection to the alleged leak.
Press freedom advocates say the judge’s order is an urgent check on government overreach, warning that allowing unrestricted searches of journalists’ work could chill investigative reporting nationwide.
The newspaper maintains that the seizure cripples reporting and risks exposing confidential sources if the data is reviewed before a full legal determination. As the February court date approaches, the case is shaping up to test how far law enforcement can go when journalistic records are caught up in criminal investigations.
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