I’ll never bring my phone on an international flight again • Hacker News Board

Re: I’ll never bring my phone on an international flight again

#41

Post by Natsu » Tue, Feb 14, 2017, 7:12 PM UTC

ucaetano wrote: post #7

trome wrote: post #5

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I recommend having a few $5 Androids on ya, they are both fun to play with, handy, and will throw inquisitive 3 letter agencies for a loop.

Which will only make you more of a suspect, probably resulting in a deeper investigation or even being denied entry.

I don't think it's all that suspicious. For example one might reasonably say something like this:

"My regular phone is SIM locked and my plan doesn't have international roaming, so it's useless to carry it. I bought a cheap unlocked phone so I could get a SIM card at my destination, because I only use it when traveling."

Re: I’ll never bring my phone on an international flight again

#42

Post by Natsu » Tue, Feb 14, 2017, 7:14 PM UTC

scrumper wrote: post #9

trome wrote: post #4

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Also, carry multiple phones of the same model. I've been throwing my main phone anywhere besides in plain view and carrying a couple $5 Androids in my pockets instead when going thru TSA, better they try to search one of them than my main phone buried in my bag next to 2 others that look just like it.

Keep in mind that it's a felony to lie to a customs & border patrol officer. "Is this your main phone?" How will you answer that?

"My main phone is SIM locked and I don't have international roaming on my plan, so there was no reason to carry it. I had to get a cheap phone so I could buy a SIM when traveling."

Re: I’ll never bring my phone on an international flight again

#43

Post by sosborn » Tue, Feb 14, 2017, 7:14 PM UTC

Spooky23 wrote: post #20

rch wrote: post #11

Phones should load different profiles based on the password provided, with some activity logged across profiles so none of them appear stale.

You're implying that people should behave in a manner that is a serious felony in the United States and likely other places.

Honest question: How is that a felony? I have multiple profiles on my home machine. Does that make me a felon?

Re: I’ll never bring my phone on an international flight again

#44

Post by digler999 » Tue, Feb 14, 2017, 7:14 PM UTC

LamaOfRuin wrote: post #37

digler999 wrote: post #24

Earlier quoted context omitted.

on a scale of 0-9, I'd put factory reset at about a 5. I'd wager there's still software out there that could do a raw read of the SD storage device's blocks. Unless Apple and friends have the device reset go to extra measures that tell the drive (at the chip-level, not the OS) "report all zeros" when read from, I think to increase your safety to "level 9" you should overwrite the disk by copying a large file several…

Doesn't seem necessary if you had disk encryption enabled. The data remaining unerased on the disk is already meaningless without the key.

True, but I meant my post as a one-size-fits-all rule. I'm sure there are many smart phones that don't use disk encryption.

Re: I’ll never bring my phone on an international flight again

#45

Post by jedberg » Tue, Feb 14, 2017, 7:14 PM UTC

psybin wrote: post #36

capote wrote: post #27

It would be nice if there were a feature built in to phones to facilitate this. Like, on the lock screen, an emergency wipe button that runs a procedure you specify (log you out of everything, obfuscate which services you subscribe to, etc) and this way as you're going through customs, you can gauge your risk and at any point you feel uncomfortable, you discreetly click your button before smoothly handing over your p…

The area you are frog marched into is strictly no devices allowed, if they see you with any electronics in your hand you will be pounced upon. This is very obviously because people try to destroy evidence they have on their devices once they discover they are screwed.

They claim to be device free, but yet everyone has their phones out texting and doing email as they wait in line. I've never seen a border agent even say anything, much less march someone away.

As long as you aren't taking pictures of the procedures they don't really care.

Re: I’ll never bring my phone on an international flight again

#46

Post by psybin » Tue, Feb 14, 2017, 7:15 PM UTC

oAlbe wrote: post #33

> Since most of our private data is stored in the cloud — and not on individual devices — you could also reset your phone to its factory settings [...] Then if you’re asked to hand it over, there won’t be any personal data on your phone This makes me wonder: is it true? Is the data truly unrecoverable if you factory-reset your phone? I doubt so. But maybe there's some special tool to truly wipe a device (say like the…

At least on an iPhone, erased is erased. On android some versions use full disk encryption but many do not, it's a guess.

Re: I’ll never bring my phone on an international flight again

#47

Post by capote » Tue, Feb 14, 2017, 7:15 PM UTC

psybin wrote: post #36

capote wrote: post #27

It would be nice if there were a feature built in to phones to facilitate this. Like, on the lock screen, an emergency wipe button that runs a procedure you specify (log you out of everything, obfuscate which services you subscribe to, etc) and this way as you're going through customs, you can gauge your risk and at any point you feel uncomfortable, you discreetly click your button before smoothly handing over your p…

The area you are frog marched into is strictly no devices allowed, if they see you with any electronics in your hand you will be pounced upon. This is very obviously because people try to destroy evidence they have on their devices once they discover they are screwed.

Nah, I'm sayin the area leading up to passport control or in the baggage claim area. I realize once you're sure something sketchy is happening, there's no actions left to take anymore. I pretty much have my phone out and in my left hand 100% of the time I'm in airports/planes, so nothing suspicious about right as someone's coming up to you or right as you walk up to a CBP officer you just tap a button.

Re: I’ll never bring my phone on an international flight again

#48

Post by rosser » Tue, Feb 14, 2017, 7:15 PM UTC

exhilaration wrote: post #17

psybin wrote: post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

"Is this the phone you use on a day to day basis"- felony if you lie.

Option 1: "No, I left my phone at home." Option 2: If you're at the US border and a US citizen, "Sir, I'm an American citizen and just want want to get home" -- citizens can't be blocked from re-entering at the border.

Citizens may, indeed, not be barred from re-entering, but there's absolutely nothing, anywhere that says we can't be made to wait unconscionably long before entry, or that we can be allowed to re-enter without our devices.

Re: I’ll never bring my phone on an international flight again

#49

Post by bionsuba » Tue, Feb 14, 2017, 7:15 PM UTC

Spooky23 wrote: post #20

rch wrote: post #11

Phones should load different profiles based on the password provided, with some activity logged across profiles so none of them appear stale.

You're implying that people should behave in a manner that is a serious felony in the United States and likely other places.

   that is a serious felony in the United States

How so?

Re: I’ll never bring my phone on an international flight again

#50

Post by [deleted] » Tue, Feb 14, 2017, 7:15 PM UTC

Spooky23 wrote: post #20

rch wrote: post #11

Phones should load different profiles based on the password provided, with some activity logged across profiles so none of them appear stale.

You're implying that people should behave in a manner that is a serious felony in the United States and likely other places.

[deleted]