Article Summary
The U.S. Customs and Border Protection agency has been increasingly conducting border searches of travelers’ personal electronics, including phones, laptops, and tablets. This has led to some travelers being denied entry into the United States due to phone data such as photos of guns and social media posts about protests. To protect sensitive data, the author plans to use a burner phone during their trip to Asia this summer.
What This Means for You
- Be mindful of the data you carry on your devices when traveling to the United States.
- Consider turning off biometrics and using only a passcode to unlock your device.
- Consider backing up and purging your device before returning to the United States.
- If you think it’s very likely that U.S. border officials will want to look at your phone, carrying a burner phone may be the most robust solution.
- Be aware that visa holders and tourists visiting the United States run the risk of being denied entry if they refuse to comply with providing their passcode.
Original Post
When I travel to Asia this summer, I plan to leave my iPhone at home. Instead, I’ll pack a different phone lacking my staple apps, like Instagram, Slack and Signal. It won’t even be logged in to my work email.
No, I’m not planning a digital detox. I’m choosing to travel with what’s known as a burner phone because my personal device contains sensitive data that I don’t want others, particularly U.S. border protection officers, to search.
(… rest of the original post …)
Key Terms
- U.S. Customs and Border Protection
- Border Searches
- Burner Phone
- Passcode
- Biometrics
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