Border agents are seizing phones and asking for their passwords. Heres how to protect yourself

[yortsed snacilbuper]

You can’t be compelled to hand over your PIN or passwords at the U.S. border, according to Nathan Freed Wessler, staff attorney for the ACLU’s Speech, Privacy and Technology Project, but depending on your status, there could be consequences for refusing to divulge them.

U.S. citizens and green card holders can be detained, and border agents can hold their devices, while visa-holders can be denied entry to the U.S. if they refuse to give their PIN or password.

How to secure your device

Every security expert and privacy advocate VICE News spoke to advised travellers to back up their data on another device and then wipe their phones completely before crossing the border.

https://news.vice.com/story/how-to-secure-your-phone-when-crossing-the-border

[brooklynite]

1. Um, what other device do you have overseas to back up to?

[unblock]

2. i use physical devices, but wouldn't icloud work?

[brooklynite]

3. If you're carrying a physical drive on the plane, you're in the same boat.

[unblock]

4. icloud is on apple's servers, not on your plane.

you upload/download from their servers via the internet.


as for physical devices, if you bring a dvd or thumb drive, what could they do?
are they really going to make you restore the data to your phone?

[Rollo]

5. I'd try backing up to a high capacity USB flash, thrumb, or other solid state drive...

They come in very small sizes that could easily be concealed after the cell phone has been backed up and wiped clean.

Of course the phone would have to be compatible with that. I *think* most are, but so far I've only tried backing up to my desktop.

Alternatively, just don't bring your cell phone when you travel across borders. It might be a liberating experience.

And I've seen it suggested to pick up a pre-paid cell phone when you arrive "in country". One that you could just wipe before crossing the border again.

[forgotmylogin]

6. Every time I get a new iPhone...

It is simply a matter of entering my iCloud (used to be iTunes) password, and all my data is literally grabbed from their servers and replicated on my phone. Down to apps I've purchased and the background picture I had.

So it seems like before traveling you could do a "Restore to Factory Settings" wipe and all they will see is a brand new iPhone with no data. When you reach your destination (literally when you can connect to Wifi in the airport and are past security) you can start your phone restoring again.

If Apple were listening, they ought to make a "travel confidentiality" mode that does this without wiping your carrier data so you could still make manual phone calls by using the number pad.

[msongs]

7. what sort of data is on a phone?

dont keep any pics/vids/music on my phone. if I websurf I use a browser not apps and clear browser after every session. also delete all phone call logs often so what is left of interest?