USA Customs Isssues with hiring providers?

[draganpower]

I am from Canada, and I plannend a trip at the end of the month to go to SF for folsom and Seattle to meet with a provide for deli fun.

I had it all booked and now I am reading a sudden increase of phone searches during customs due to this administration. My phone is filled with conversations with providers, hook up apps, links to this site, RM, and search history. I know I can scrub it but I really don't want to spend that much time and deleting numbers of providers I like. what is the chances of me getting phone searched and banned ??

People are also saying that because I am darker skinned there are higher risk they will. Now I am really questioning this trip and maybe wait. Ugh, any thoughts?

I know millions of people travel to the states but what if  I am the one that gets randomly searched at customs.

[maninsoma]

Why not just leave your phone at home and travel with a burner phone for this trip?

[+ JamesB]

My rule is never to keep anything in my phone that I do not want to be found. Cellphones get lost, stolen and to your point, there has ALWAYS been the possibility of having your phone searched at customs.

[nomad]

2 hours ago, maninsoma said:

Why not just leave your phone at home and travel with a burner phone for this trip?

This isn't always practical since we store all our s*** on it.  Who really remembers all their passwords?  The one u need is the one u will not recall when u be need it.  Our phones have made us dumb and addicted. People freak out when they think they lost their phone.  Full panic when it's real.  

[Bokomaru]

The chance is low. The risk isn’t jail it’s getting banned from entry. Given the low risk, can you live with that, in the unlikely event it happens? If no, then back-up your phone. Wipe it clean. Restore when you get back to Canada. 

[maninsoma]

38 minutes ago, nomad said:

This isn't always practical since we store all our s*** on it.  Who really remembers all their passwords?  The one u need is the one u will not recall when u be need it.  Our phones have made us dumb and addicted. People freak out when they think they lost their phone.  Full panic when it's real.  

I am not that motivated to log into a bunch of different sites when I'm on vacation.  I could memorize the ones I will need.  Also, you could always either send yourself emails with password hints so you can then check your email after going through immigration.

I do think traveling internationally is a bigger risk for providers than clients since they might be identified by facial recognition software and then more heavily scrutinized.  Finding one piece of information that indicates an intent to work after entering the country is enough to deny entry.

[nate_sf]

21 hours ago, maninsoma said:

I do think traveling internationally is a bigger risk for providers than clients since they might be identified by facial recognition software and then more heavily scrutinized.  Finding one piece of information that indicates an intent to work after entering the country is enough to deny entry.

I think this is the case. They’re looking for intent to work without authorization, so it’s the providers who have more to worry about. 

[draganpower]

I keep flipping back and forth, I am stoked in going and then moments, crap, I am gonna be the unlucky one where they go through my phone and see all my anti trump stuff on my social media and contacts with providers and ban me.

However, right now unfortunately I am leaning towards not going. It is not worth the risk and have it flagged on my profile. Probably better to go when the political climate is less hostile. 

I also travelling solo. I also want to go with someone to folsom so if I plan for in the future I might have more fun. 

[PragueMen]

I always thought the chance of them searching your phone AND then finding your messages to an escort/client AND then reading everything incriminating was so remote I never worried about it. 
 

They have real things to do like catch drug smugglers, human traffickers and other nefarious actors. They’re not interested in some guy coming in and getting their nut off.

Edited 5 hours ago by PragueMen