I’m traveling to the US mainland for the first time in my life in a few weeks.
I am not overly stressed about privacy, but I have read that US immigration can really overstep their boundaries. Are there any simple specific steps to take on my devices to protect my privace when going through US border control?
Remove my main accounts from my phone/tablet and use dummy accounts? Or just removing my biometrics?
Do not take your normal devices in case they are seized for random bullshit reasons. They can and will. They will often be returned to you destroyed and unusable.
Take a device you buy just for this trip. Maybe ditch the tablet instead of buying one for the trip. Do not set up biometrics on it. Do not connect it to your usual services.
Is it a gaurantee this kind of thing will happen? No.
Does this thing happen often enough to foreign travellers to make it worth leaving your main devices behind? Yes.
All that “freedom” is just for US citizens. They absolutely can and will fuck with any and all foreign people. Its stupid.
ITT: A lot of folks with way too much trust in the USA being “reasonable.” I’m sorry, but when the TSA interrogates people with autism because they act different you’re not convincing me they know what the fuck they’re doing or won’t harass random fucking people. This “act normal” shit is so stupid say to anyone who is neurodivergent, which is enough for USA security forces to choose to fuck with you.
I think we have very different definitions of “often”
Doesn’t need to happen often, its a possibility for x number of people passing thru the borders any given day. They have the legal right to force your biometrics to unlock your device. Removing it ahead of time is prudent.
If you breeze thru no problems; no harm no foul, just add your thumb again.
I thought if the device was off, or just booted, or in lockdown mode, then biometrics could not be used without entering the password first?
Yup! Holding power and volume up or down on an iPhone for a few seconds will lock it and require a password before it will unlock again.
I’ve never heard of or scene a device confiscated but it isn’t impossible. Generally they would need a reason. Maybe avoid making your device look like a bomb.
If they ask for a device’s password and you decline to give it to them, they will “detain” the device. See this comment for some links on the subject.
They only do that if you are a threat. Remember, time is money
Lmao. Even CBP does not claim that. On the contrary, they say (and courts have so far agreed) that they can perform these types of border searches without any probable cause, and even without reasonable suspicion (a weaker legal standard than probable cause).
In practice they routinely do it to people who are friends with someone (or recently interacted with someone on social media) who they think could be a threat, as well as to people who have a name similar to someone else they’re interested in for whatever reason, or if the CBP officer just feels like it - often because of what the person looks like.
It’s nice for you that you feel confident that you won’t be subjected to this kind of thing, but you shouldn’t assume OP and other people don’t need to be prepared for it.