I say, pay attention, son...US Customs and your Smart Phone

[robberbaron4u]

[samhexum]

This is not a concern for me.  The last flight I took was  20+ years ago.

[maninsoma]

2 hours ago, robberbaron4u said:

Did you intend to actually share something other than a photo and headline?

[robberbaron4u]

21 minutes ago, maninsoma said:

Did you intend to actually share something other than a photo and headline?

Tap into the YouTube tutorial as by the heading.

[maninsoma]

1 hour ago, robberbaron4u said:

Tap into the YouTube tutorial as by the heading.

In other words, go to YouTube and search for it ourselves if we're interested.

 

[robberbaron4u]

59 minutes ago, maninsoma said:

In other words, go to YouTube and search for it ourselves if we're interested.

 

And there you have it...

[samhexum]

4 hours ago, maninsoma said:

Did you intend to actually share something other than a photo and headline?

 

3 hours ago, robberbaron4u said:

Tap into the YouTube tutorial as by the heading.

 

2 hours ago, maninsoma said:

In other words, go to YouTube and search for it ourselves if we're interested.

 

 

 

[maninsoma]

12 minutes ago, samhexum said:

 

 

 

 

I hardly asked a dumb question since most people actually link a video or written article if they want to share something, not a screen shot that shows a title of something that the reader can then go look for himself. I asked simply because I assumed the first post had to be a mistake because I don't think I've ever seen anyone try to share information online that's just a screenshot of an article or video.

[samhexum]

16 minutes ago, maninsoma said:

I hardly asked a dumb question since most people actually link a video or written article if they want to share something, not a screen shot that shows a title of something that the reader can then go look for himself. I asked simply because I assumed the first post had to be a mistake because I don't think I've ever seen anyone try to share information online that's just a screenshot of an article or video.

 

[+ Just Chuck]

Here’s the link to the YouTube video.

I haven’t traveled internationally since summer of 2024 and I’ve been avoiding it for the last year and a half.  But, I’ve decide that when I do next, as the plane touches down, I’ll completely power-off my cell phone.  Better than a locked screen, that turns off all biometrics. 

I’ve considered backing my phone up to the cloud and using the phone’s "factory reset” feature then restoring my phone from the cloud at a better time.

Here’s a different video reviewing the best burner phones of 2026.

[BigDMike]

I travel internationally often and love that this video is discussing a "3 second mistake" but takes 19 minutes to watch it.  I'll catch the cliff note version

Edited Thursday at 11:59 PM by BigDMike

[+ JamesB]

2 hours ago, BigDMike said:

I'll catch the cliff note version

Courtesy of AI

This source explains how U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) utilizes the "border search exception" to examine travelers' electronic devices without a warrant. It distinguishes between basic manual searches and advanced forensic extractions, noting that over 47,000 such inspections occurred in a single fiscal year. The text highlights that while U.S. citizens cannot be denied entry for refusing to provide a passcode, visa holders face significant risks, including potential inadmissibility. To mitigate these privacy concerns, the transcript suggests practical strategies such as using clean travel devices, logging out of cloud accounts, and understanding one's legal standing before arriving at a port of entry. Ultimately, the material serves as an informational guide to help international travelers navigate the complex intersection of digital privacy rights and federal immigration enforcement.

[Bargara Leatherboy]

It is policies like this that have taken the USA off our destination lists.

We did a world cruise in 2025, with calls at New York, Miami and then San Francisco.

My husband worked in the USA for 13 years, held a green card during that time.

He returned to his native Australia in 1988.  Green cards expire 12 months after your last departure from the USA.

As Australian passport holders we applied for an ETSA and got approved.

On arrival in New York he was sent to secondary Immigration.  

Apparently the front screen shows a valid green card and a valid ETSA which causes a problem for the border agents.  They do not have the authority to drill down in the system so its off to secondary.

15 mins later he was out - after a more senior agent was able to discover the green card history.

Same Happened in San Francisco, the original agent in NYC had left notes but it still took a while.

There is always the concern that something will go wrong.

So we have decided to no longer visit the USA while this policy is current.

it seems that many other travellers and tourists have made similar decision.  

Las Vegas is a Ghost town, arriving passenger numbers are down, flights are not full and some flights are cancelled.

Ultimate outcome is less income, less people being employed, less money being spent, in all the associated industry.

I totally get protecting your nation from hostile visitors but someone who would vote Democrat is not a threat in a democratic nation.

Think carefully who you vote for in the mid terms, and do not rely just on the USA media - check out some other media outlets like the BBC,  

 

 

[BigDMike]

13 hours ago, JamesB said:

Courtesy of AI

This source explains how U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) utilizes the "border search exception" to examine travelers' electronic devices without a warrant. It distinguishes between basic manual searches and advanced forensic extractions, noting that over 47,000 such inspections occurred in a single fiscal year. The text highlights that while U.S. citizens cannot be denied entry for refusing to provide a passcode, visa holders face significant risks, including potential inadmissibility. To mitigate these privacy concerns, the transcript suggests practical strategies such as using clean travel devices, logging out of cloud accounts, and understanding one's legal standing before arriving at a port of entry. Ultimately, the material serves as an informational guide to help international travelers navigate the complex intersection of digital privacy rights and federal immigration enforcement.

Thank you....much easier than 19 minutes.  😉

[+ Gar1eth]

On 6/11/2026 at 10:31 PM, Bargara Leatherboy said:

check out some other media outlets like the BBC,  

 

Just a comment-I don't know as information regarding international travelers, but  the BBC probably has at least as much institutional bias as American liberal news sources. 

[jayjaycali]

It's fascinating how the media landscape is framed so that any source offering outside perspective is quickly labelled 'biased'. When we're trained to automatically discard every global data post that doesn't align with a home-grown perspective it's worth asking who benefits from keeping us so isolated.