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How to lock down your phone if you're traveling to the U.S.

washingtonpost.com

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Re: How to lock down your phone if you're traveling to the U.S.

#81

Post by antris »

BrandoElFollito wrote: post #80
antris wrote: post #77

Earlier quoted context omitted.

US has been "coming for us" for decades. What the US does does not fit neatly into its own borders. Extraordinary rendition https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Extraordinary_rendition Coups https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_involvement_in_r... Wars https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_wars_involving_the_Uni...

What does this has to do with the topic of trying to be clever with the border police with some tricks to conceal information? (as opposed to not having it in the first place) Otherwise yes, you are right - they are bullies.

It has to do with your argument of "if you don't like it, don't go there". Also, you specifically asked "who came for you" so it's direct answer to your question.

Re: How to lock down your phone if you're traveling to the U.S.

#82

Post by buyucu »

gruez wrote: post #4

"Locking down" is almost always a bad approach when it comes to border crossings. You have very little rights at the border, so keeping your phone locked and refusing to divulge the 20 characters password isn't really an option. Even without the threat of detaining you, they can refuse entry (if you're not a citizen/permanent resident), or seize your $1000 phone/laptop. Far better to wipe your phone and restore from…

My company gives burner phones and laptops for employees and salespeople traveling to countries with agressive borders. USA is on the list, together with Israel, Iran and a few others I can't remember now.

Re: How to lock down your phone if you're traveling to the U.S.

#83

Post by [deleted] »

gruez wrote: post #4

"Locking down" is almost always a bad approach when it comes to border crossings. You have very little rights at the border, so keeping your phone locked and refusing to divulge the 20 characters password isn't really an option. Even without the threat of detaining you, they can refuse entry (if you're not a citizen/permanent resident), or seize your $1000 phone/laptop. Far better to wipe your phone and restore from…

[deleted]

Re: How to lock down your phone if you're traveling to the U.S.

#84

Post by buyucu »

BrandoElFollito wrote: post #57

Also known as "how to visit detention centers". The amount of bad advice here is staggering. You are not James Bond or some kind of ninja Seals secret agent. You are a nobody attempting to enter a country, and you will be pissing off the border police. Have some common sense.

Common sense is suspending US travel. I did that last month.

Re: How to lock down your phone if you're traveling to the U.S.

#86

Post by rbanffy »

tenacious_tuna wrote: post #54
hangonhn wrote: post #37

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Does anyone more knowledgable know if US citizen 5th amendment rights still applies at the border, i.e. I can't legally be compelled to unlock my phone at the US border? Law is not my area of expertise at all. (The article might have addressed this but it's behind a paywall.) Thanks in advance.

I am not a lawyer, though I am a US citizen. First, it's the fourth amendment that protects against unreasonable search. Fifth amendment is protection against self-incrimination. My understanding is that fourth amendment protections effectively do not apply at the border [1] because the border is inherently a reasonable place to search people. In regards to being compelled to unlock your phone, CBP maintains the posi…

> because the border is inherently a reasonable place to search people.

IIRC there is a radius around every international airport where such warrantless searches are legal.

Re: How to lock down your phone if you're traveling to the U.S.

#87

Post by kccqzy »

joshdavham wrote: post #34

> Data copied from devices during advanced searches at entry points into the U.S. gets saved for 15 years in a database searchable by thousands of CBP employees without a warrant. This is incredibly sketchy. As a non-American (Canadian), I think I’d probably just prefer to be refused entry to the US at that point.

They can both store contents of your device and refuse retry.

Re: How to lock down your phone if you're traveling to the U.S.

#88

Post by [deleted] »

joshlemer wrote: post #36
gruez wrote: post #4

"Locking down" is almost always a bad approach when it comes to border crossings. You have very little rights at the border, so keeping your phone locked and refusing to divulge the 20 characters password isn't really an option. Even without the threat of detaining you, they can refuse entry (if you're not a citizen/permanent resident), or seize your $1000 phone/laptop. Far better to wipe your phone and restore from…

What happens if it looks freshly wiped?

[deleted]

Re: How to lock down your phone if you're traveling to the U.S.

#89

Post by rbanffy »

explodes wrote: post #30
troyvit wrote: post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This would be useful beyond getting in and out of customs too. For instance, most people don't want to carry around a work phone and a personal phone, so we end up mixing two personas on one device, and it gets awful. For instance I keep two 2fa apps, one for work stuff and one for personal stuff. It would be so much easier if I could have a separate login that showed just my work apps. Like ... wouldn't it be nice t…

This is built into Android as Work Profiles.

If it’s built in they can request you to unlock both profiles.

Re: How to lock down your phone if you're traveling to the U.S.

#90

Post by GenshoTikamura »

ty6853 wrote: post #42
joshlemer wrote: post #36

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What happens if it looks freshly wiped?

It's my experience that once you get sent to secondary they have already decided to fuck you, they are just deciding which flimsy excuse they will use to do it. My totally non-legal conjecture (and livid experience) is if you are a citizen they will play mind games with you in secondary or a holding cell for hours to a day or so and then eventually reluctantly release you after muttering threats about revoking your p…

Detainment for having a phone without any content in it is just pure and utter fascism.
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