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Should International Travelers Leave Their Phones At Home? (freecodecamp.com)

Long-time Slashdot reader Toe, The sums up what he learned from freeCodeCamp's Quincy Larson: "Before you travel internationally, wipe your phone or bring/rent/buy a clean one." Larson's article is titled "I'll never bring my phone on an international flight again. Neither should you." All the security in the world can't save you if someone has physical possession of your phone or laptop, and can intimidate you into giving up your password... Companies like Elcomsoft make 'forensic software' that can suck down all your photos, contacts -- even passwords for your email and social media accounts -- in a matter of minutes.... If we do nothing to resist, pretty soon everyone will have to unlock their phone and hand it over to a customs agent while they're getting their passport swiped... And with this single new procedure, all the hard work that Apple and Google have invested in encrypting the data on your phone -- and fighting for your privacy in court -- will be a completely moot point.
The article warns Americans that their constitutional protections don't apply because "the U.S. border isn't technically the U.S.," calling it "a sort of legal no-man's-land. You have very few rights there." Larson points out this also affects Canadians, but argues that "You can't hand over a device that you don't have."

6 of 514 comments (clear)

  1. Re:IIRC, you don't have to give them the password by Imrik · · Score: 4, Informative

    You can't be compelled to give your password, you can however be denied permission to travel if you withhold it.

  2. Re:Hyperbole stew by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Informative

    The fourth amendment reads:

    The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.

    There's some wiggle room in there, but the intent seems clear. Searches should be limited to those accused of a crime, and must be authorized by a judge/magistrate that there is probable cause.

  3. Re:Ways around this by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Informative

    Be careful, American border patrol was just given authority to conduct is security theatre in Canadian airports too, courtesy of Joe Trudeau.

  4. Re:Ways around this by quenda · · Score: 4, Informative

    let alone makes a stopover, you still are subject to US customs inspection.

    Another US peculiarity, which is a major problem for many people daily.

    Making it worse, the US considers Canada and Mexico part of the US for visa purposes.
    So a 4-month visit to Canada, transiting the US both ways, is considered a 4-month stay in the US and so ineligible for ESTA and needing a full visa with interview just to transit.

    Here is some help to avoid US transit:

    https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki...

    http://wikitravel.org/en/Avoid...

  5. Re:Ways around this by Solandri · · Score: 4, Informative

    That wasn't a change, it was maintaining the status quo. The U.S. operates several extra-territorial checkpoints in Canada (and other countries). If you're leaving certain Canadian airports for a flight to the U.S., you clear U.S. customs and immigration while in Canada. This simplifies things at the U.S. end (there are a lot fewer Canadian airports than U.S. airports, so fewer staff are needed this way), as well as allows Canadian flights to travel directly to U.S. airports without any U.S. customs and immigration presence.

    The program has been in operation since the 1950s. Absent any disagreement on immigration policies, it is logistically the more efficient way to operate.

  6. Re:Ways around this by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Informative

    You missed the important detail.

    The previous status quo:
          If the US border officials didn't want to let you in, they could not detain you and you were free to turn around and walk away.

    Now, people can get detained/held on Canadian soil by US border officials without the freedom to leave.

    Big difference. Not at all the status quo.