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This article is a nice reminder that free speech is awesome. Also, it is terribly unhelpful and uninformative. Schneier’s blog post on this has tons of useful

This article is a nice reminder that free speech is awesome. Also, it is terribly unhelpful and uninformative. Schneier’s blog post on this has tons of useful information in the comments: https://www.schneier.com/blog/archives/2025/04/cell-phone-opsec-for-border-crossings.html https://www.schneier.com/blog/archives/2025/04/cell-phone-op... The EFF wrote the canonical guide to this in 2017: https://www.eff.org/wp/digital-privacy-us-border-2017 https://www.eff.org/wp/digital-privacy-us-border-2017. I don’t know if it has been updated, but there is a lot that’s useful there. I think the main thing to decide ahead of time is: will you unlock a phone on request, or are you willing to lose the powered-down phone or be denied entry if you refuse? Most of your decisions flow from there. If unlocked and it leaves your sight, ALL your messages and photos and documents will be stored forever and are available warrantless in probably every country in the world.

ty6853 2y ago
As a US citizen it is still a bit useful. You cannot be denied entry (CBP has told me they would deny me entry, but in the end they just threaten to revoke your passport which is also a lie). If they have decided they want to search your phone, they will tell you that you just have to answer the questions and they will let you out in time to catch your next flight or whatever. The truth is they are vicious liars, as I have found out, once they are that suspicious you have already missed your connection. Once you are in secondary they are usually going to fuck you no matter what so might as well assert your rights.
- nico 2y ago
  > might as well assert your rights I wonder what could happen to citizens who weren’t born in the US Given what we’ve seen recently. Could it be possible they would refer these people to the state department to revoke their citizenships?
  - deleted 2y ago
    [deleted]
  - wat10000 2y ago
    As things currently stand, this wouldn't qualify for denaturalization. Even the Trump proposals have been to do it for fraudulently obtaining citizenship (e.g. lying about a criminal record), not general crimes, and certainly not for non-crimes like annoying CBP. But next week it could all be different.
    - senderista 2y ago
      I expect the first denaturalization case over political speech to be only a matter of time--perhaps weeks at this rate?
    - nico 2y ago
      > fraudulently obtaining citizenship It seems like they are claiming that “not saying you intended to protest” is essentially lying on the initial visa application, thus fraud and grounds for revocation of residence and deportation So, if CBP confiscated someone’s laptop or phone (because they don’t want to unlock it), then break into it, and find social media posts against genocide, and/or against the Trump administration… given how they’ve acted, who knows what they’d do
      - wat10000 2y ago
        I'm deeply displeased with their treatment of legal residents here, but denaturalizing a citizen is about a million times more severe than deporting a legal resident alien. The executive has pretty much unlimited authority to decide which non-citizens are allowed to enter or stay within the country, and has for a long time, whereas that's not the case with denaturalization.
        ty6853 2y ago
        Does knowingly blowing up a citizen with a drone count as denaturalization?
        wat10000 2y ago
        Case in point. People are still talking about that one guy more than all the other victims combined.
- senderista 2y ago
  They have always been assholes. I was detained by CBP back in 1997 returning from Europe (through O'Hare airport), even though all my papers were in order (I am a natural-born citizen and I had my passport) because I was overheard speaking Spanish (I was returning from a study-abroad trip to Spain). Someone actually demanded to know where in Mexico I was born, even though, as I said, I had my passport, state ID, and birth cert all right there with me. They just dumped me in a waiting room for 90m (long enough to miss my flight), then told me to go with no explanation or apology. On the way out someone laughed and told me they didn't know why I was detained but I "looked like a terrorist" (I had a full beard at the time). Mind you, this was before 9/11 so I'm sure it's worse now.
- kashunstva 2y ago
  > they just threaten to revoke your passport which is also a lie Insofar as the current regime has little or no respect for the rule of law, particularly due process, I can imagine them revoking someone's passport. The Secretary of State could certify that you have engaged in activities abroad that are opposed to U.S. foreign policy. On paper, the conditions for revocation are rather narrow. In practice with an adverse administration and a largely captured judicial branch, who knows? Either way, personally I don't care. No warrant - no looksies.

ty6853 2y ago

As a US citizen it is still a bit useful. You cannot be denied entry (CBP has told me they would deny me entry, but in the end they just threaten to revoke your passport which is also a lie). If they have decided they want to search your phone, they will tell you that you just have to answer the questions and they will let you out in time to catch your next flight or whatever. The truth is they are vicious liars, as I have found out, once they are that suspicious you have already missed your connection. Once you are in secondary they are usually going to fuck you no matter what so might as well assert your rights.

nico 2y ago
> might as well assert your rights I wonder what could happen to citizens who weren’t born in the US Given what we’ve seen recently. Could it be possible they would refer these people to the state department to revoke their citizenships?
- deleted 2y ago
  [deleted]
- wat10000 2y ago
  As things currently stand, this wouldn't qualify for denaturalization. Even the Trump proposals have been to do it for fraudulently obtaining citizenship (e.g. lying about a criminal record), not general crimes, and certainly not for non-crimes like annoying CBP. But next week it could all be different.
  - senderista 2y ago
    I expect the first denaturalization case over political speech to be only a matter of time--perhaps weeks at this rate?
  - nico 2y ago
    > fraudulently obtaining citizenship It seems like they are claiming that “not saying you intended to protest” is essentially lying on the initial visa application, thus fraud and grounds for revocation of residence and deportation So, if CBP confiscated someone’s laptop or phone (because they don’t want to unlock it), then break into it, and find social media posts against genocide, and/or against the Trump administration… given how they’ve acted, who knows what they’d do
    - wat10000 2y ago
      I'm deeply displeased with their treatment of legal residents here, but denaturalizing a citizen is about a million times more severe than deporting a legal resident alien. The executive has pretty much unlimited authority to decide which non-citizens are allowed to enter or stay within the country, and has for a long time, whereas that's not the case with denaturalization.
      - ty6853 2y ago
        Does knowingly blowing up a citizen with a drone count as denaturalization?
        wat10000 2y ago
        Case in point. People are still talking about that one guy more than all the other victims combined.
senderista 2y ago
They have always been assholes. I was detained by CBP back in 1997 returning from Europe (through O'Hare airport), even though all my papers were in order (I am a natural-born citizen and I had my passport) because I was overheard speaking Spanish (I was returning from a study-abroad trip to Spain). Someone actually demanded to know where in Mexico I was born, even though, as I said, I had my passport, state ID, and birth cert all right there with me. They just dumped me in a waiting room for 90m (long enough to miss my flight), then told me to go with no explanation or apology. On the way out someone laughed and told me they didn't know why I was detained but I "looked like a terrorist" (I had a full beard at the time). Mind you, this was before 9/11 so I'm sure it's worse now.
kashunstva 2y ago
> they just threaten to revoke your passport which is also a lie Insofar as the current regime has little or no respect for the rule of law, particularly due process, I can imagine them revoking someone's passport. The Secretary of State could certify that you have engaged in activities abroad that are opposed to U.S. foreign policy. On paper, the conditions for revocation are rather narrow. In practice with an adverse administration and a largely captured judicial branch, who knows? Either way, personally I don't care. No warrant - no looksies.