Mobile phones and border agencies

[Veep Peep 13]

Hello,

 

I am reading border guards can now ask for your mobile device passwords, and denying them the passwords are not an answer - you can be detained.

 

What would you do if a border guard asked you for your phone and PIN?

 

Would you leave your phone at home

 

Is there any recourse?

 

Delete browser history - sure.  Delete all Whatsapps conversations?  Should one delete all banking apps?

 

They can see some of my naughty pix....

 

Thoughts?  Comments?

 

Thanks,

 

Mr. V

 

 

 

[Ricnvolved1956 51]

Don't travel out of the country with your smartphone. Get a burner phone that can be used wherever you're going. You can throw it away before boarding the jet to come home, or if you keep it on the return flight, erase all data before the TSA goons demand to see it. If they demand to keep it (whether from frustration, or just because they're overzealous, stupid assholes), so what? It's a burner phone, what have you lost?

[OmniNegro 155]

Idiot lawmakers are already trying to make it illegal to even own a burner. Why? Because they think "Only criminals need them". And those TSA goons? They are the real criminals.

 

I do not even own a mobile device. No phone, no tablet, no laptop. And a few years ago I was "detained" by the idiots at an airport I was going to because I "would not produce my phone upon demand".

 

I was there six hours until the shift change where the new shift asked why I was there and promptly released me. I swear they never even asked me if I had a phone. (The next shift that is.)

 

So if you require a phone with you at all times, do as MoT suggested and buy a burner. If you cannot for some reason, then you can and will survive without one. While you waste away from phone withdrawal, I suggest you take the time to write your lawmakers about how stupid things are.

[Ricnvolved1956 51]

OmniNegro-- Not sure I would've put up with being "detained" for 6 hours on the suspicion that I was refusing to cough up a mobile phone I didn't even have. I think most people have heard the expression, "The squeaky wheel gets the grease". If I were in your place, I might've been........ LOUD. Whiney.... complaining in a highly irritating manner.... perhaps crying.... muttering about having a cardiac condition.... dramatically wondering why God was putting you through this trial..... making clear inference to the sh*theads that you just might be a real head case. Just be sure to stay loud in your behavior, but punctuate it with an occasional sudden dramatic drop in tone as an eerie and disturbing contrast to the loudness.

 

My guess is that after an hour or two of that kind of behavior, they would forcibly push you out the door just so they wouldn't have to hear it anymore. 

[Kepler_452b 77]

Hello,

 

I am reading border guards can now ask for your mobile device passwords, and denying them the passwords are not an answer - you can be detained.

 

What would you do if a border guard asked you for your phone and PIN?

 

Would you leave your phone at home

 

Is there any recourse?

 

Delete browser history - sure.  Delete all Whatsapps conversations?  Should one delete all banking apps?

 

They can see some of my naughty pix....

 

Thoughts?  Comments?

 

Thanks,

 

Mr. V

 

@Vevekpv.  Would you mind posting some links to what you're reading? I'd like to determine if this is really a frequent problem or more of a rare one. It's hard to imagine that they are frequently detaining people. There would be a huge outcry from citizens and business travelers if they were detained without probable cause. Not saying it never happens, but I imagine its not that common.

[OpenSourcerer 1435]

For me it's easy: Do not travel to USA. If you have to, don't bring your phone.

If this happens here, I honestly don't know what I'm going to do.. never happened.

[calvus 1]

Android smartphones are so easy. Back up your contacts and sensible data including apps notes pretty much anything. Wipe your phone. Create some temporary Google account. Add parents contacts and send them a message (so is not a suspiciously empty phone) cross the border. Log in your Google account and wait few minutes for all the magic of automatic restore.

[greenclaydog 6]

Android smartphones are so easy. Back up your contacts and sensible data including apps notes pretty much anything. Wipe your phone. Create some temporary Google account. Add parents contacts and send them a message (so is not a suspiciously empty phone) cross the border. Log in your Google account and wait few minutes for all the magic of automatic restore.

 

Laptops and other devices are not so easy. 

[zhang888 1066]

https://blog.filippo.io/securing-a-travel-iphone/

[Veep Peep 13]

 

Hello,

 

I am reading border guards can now ask for your mobile device passwords, and denying them the passwords are not an answer - you can be detained.

 

What would you do if a border guard asked you for your phone and PIN?

 

Would you leave your phone at home

 

Is there any recourse?

 

Delete browser history - sure.  Delete all Whatsapps conversations?  Should one delete all banking apps?

 

They can see some of my naughty pix....

 

Thoughts?  Comments?

 

Thanks,

 

Mr. V

@Vevekpv.  Would you mind posting some links to what you're reading? I'd like to determine if this is really a frequent problem or more of a rare one. It's hard to imagine that they are frequently detaining people. There would be a huge outcry from citizens and business travelers if they were detained without probable cause. Not saying it never happens, but I imagine its not that common.

I would like to know more about the people who had this issue as well...like colour of skin, ethnicity, criminal background..

 

There are plenty of links.  Google or Bing.  I was reading an article from our national broadcaster.  

 

Below is some info

 

http://www.cbc.ca/news/technology/cbsa-border-smartphone-laptop-electronic-device-search-policy-1.3986496

 

Curious to hear your thoughts!

 

Thanks,

 

Mr. V