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Several articles have suggested nuking your data off your phone before you travel and re-downloading your data when you get to your destination. It's not clear
by thinkling 10y ago
Several articles have suggested nuking your data off your phone before you travel and re-downloading your data when you get to your destination.
It's not clear to me that this makes sense: First, it's going to make you look suspicious to CBP. Second, if they're already in the business of compelling people to give up passwords to access online accounts (e.g. Facebook), why wouldn't they compel you to activate the data restore process and keep you there until (enough of) it is done?
- bigiain 10y agoA curious line of thinking - where's the line get drawn (if anywhere) between requiring you to unlock your phone so they can search/image it, to requiring you to restore a wiped/factory reset phone you're carrying, to demanding you give up passwords to online services even if you do not have any devices capable of connecting to them with you? Can I be compelled to produce a password to a Facebook account in my name if I do not have a phone/laptop with me? (Sadly, I suspect the answer for me as a non-US citizen is "Yes - you have no rights at a border and CBP can demand anything of you and deny you entry for any or no reason...)
- thinkling 10y agoIndeed. My impression is that American citizens are guaranteed eventual re-entry into the country, though perhaps after some detention time and without their gadgets. So an American can refuse to give up passwords as a matter of principle. Non-citizens, even green card holders, don't have that guarantee. I don't think you have the right to a lawyer before CBP puts you on a plane flight back to your point of origin. So if you decide to be principled and claim that you have the right to withhold your data from searches, you're doing so with the risk of having to continue your life elsewhere.