So anywhere within 100 miles of a border or international airport.
this post was submitted on 25 Sep 2026
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Well that's convenient, now they don't have to do it illegally anymore.
With protesting and dissent nearing illegality, It's no longer safe to have password managers, browser history or social media on your phone. (at borders for now)
I see a lot of people saying just shut it off. They will turn it on, tell you to unlock it, you refuse, they'll detain you, try tools to bypass, confiscate it (you need to make sure you get a receipt) and they'll let you out without it at some point. Even citizens can get detained for periods greater than 24 hours.
If you express any public dissent toward the administration, you should consider traveling with a dumb phone or a burner, not connected to your email/social online services/password systems.
Remember to always turn off your phone before getting off the plane.
At least I'll know which of my three phones to keep in pocket (I've got a Pixel 9a running GrapheneOS, iPhone 13 and Microsoft Lumia 435 Dual SIM).
Hand over the Lumia and border patrol will be "wtf is this"
I have a question.. there’s data on my phone and other devices that are protected under an active NDA. I am legally obligated to prevent disclosure of that information.
So.. what happens then?
> agree to do corporate espionage for company A
> get a job at company B, sign an NDA, put all their sensitive data on your phone
> have your buddy get a job with the CBP
> cross the border, "oops, I guess he gets to look at my phone, what can I do?"
> buddy doesn't have an NDA so he tells company A what he saw then splits the money with you
> profit??
No, you're not. Encrypt the device and turn it off.
And if they ask you to unlock it, you just say no and it all goes fine?
Nothing new, I thought they can read your phone going through an airport.
https://mendozafirm.com/faqs/can-cbp-search-your-phone/
You're correct with circumstances. Prior to now, they used loopholes and lies that could be challenged.
They're now just openly allowed to without warrant or even suspicion.
And you can shut it down and refuse, but they can detain you, for quite some time if they want and they will likely confiscate your phone for untold periods of time.
You should also be aware that "border" extends to inbound/outbound international flights. So you could be subject to a border search at an airport that's nowhere near any physical border.
Not if it's off and encrypted with a strong passphrase
Leave your phone at home, back up all the important data you need into a server. Keep all important information and documents you need for the trip printed on a paper.
Go through border without a phone, buy new phone and SIM abroad to avoid roaming. Access/download your important info through the internet using the hotel's wifi.
After the trip you can bring the phone home and it will only contain some holiday photos.
Don't buy the phone anywhere near an embassy or airport. Pay cash. Don't give your name or ID. Reinstall the OS immediately after taking it out of the box. Setup FDE with a strong passphrase. Don't use biometrics.
Create even more waste every time you travel
This was already the legal case. I'm confused what changed. This was okay legally for international travel anyway because borders are not considered protect it by the Constitution. I'm so confused. What's different?
People are just clueing in to how bad it's actually been since 9/11.
It was gray. The used the concept of being outside of US jurisdiction to skirt the laws on illegal search and seizure. Somebody pushed back on this recently, so they made it less gray.
Turn it off before crossing. They may ask you to power it on, which you may comply with. In my experience, biometrics don't work after a fresh boot and the device password must be entered before biometric unlocking works.
That prevents them from getting into your phone, but probably prevents you from getting across the border too.
No. Even the guy who used the duress password to wipe his device was allowed through the border.
They will use psychological pressure and make you wait hours, but they will let you through, even if you stand your ground.
Encrypt all your real devices and use a dummy phone to cross. If you get questioned, give lawyer contact info and say nothing else
The lawyer is for you, not them. Just prepare to say "no thank you. Am I free to go now?" for a few hours. Don't say anything else.
Might sound extreme, but unironically everyone should do this
A lot of suggestions in here but the real way to avoid this to do an encrypted backup of your entire phone to the cloud, wipe it, then log into whatever service you used to store it and import it after you're safely in another country. They might keep you for a while because having an empty phone is suspicious, but they won't get anything.
Reminds me if when Jacob Applebaum crossed with a laptop with no disk and they were very confused with what to do lol
Best way to avoid it is not travelling to/from the US.
Tbh I'm shocked it wasn't already. Like I thought the border has been a "no rights zone" for as long as I've been alive.
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So bits are considered a controlled substance now?
Sure, but not encrypted bits.
Never going anywhere near that border.
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