How to lock down your phone if you're traveling to the U.S.

If you’re traveling into the United States from another country, there’s a question you need to consider well in advance. If asked, would you unlock your devices to allow U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents to look through your smartphone, tablet or computer? Or would you decline, which risks a delay, confiscation of your phone or being denied entry into the United States? Knowing the answer will help you determine how to prepare your electronics before any travel. “You have to plan ahead if you’re going to cross a border,” says Sophia Cope, a senior staff attorney at the Electronic Frontier Foundation, a consumer advocacy group. “What that plan looks like really can be different for different people.” Is CPB allowed to do that? What’s changed? Most law enforcement agencies must show probable cause and obtain a search warrant if they want to access a device such as a smartphone. Advertisement However, CBP has long been able to conduct warrantless searches without reasonable ... Read full article.