The Canadian government now warns travellers to expect scrutiny at U.S. ports of entry. On Friday, the government updated its U.S. travel advisory website indicating that Canadians should be careful of their electonic devices when travelling. Here’s exactly what it says:
U.S. border agents are entitled to search your electronic devices, such as your phones, computers or tablets, when you are entering the United States. They don’t need to provide a reason when requesting a password to open your device.
If you refuse, they may seize your device. The border agent could also delay your travel or deny entry if you are not a U.S. citizen.
Before crossing the border, put your device in airplane mode to ensure remote files don’t get downloaded accidentally.
Essentially, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents can demand your passwords to unlock your devices during inspections, and if you refuse, you can be denied entry if you are not a U.S. citizen. The ‘entry and exit requirements’ portion also reads, “Government of Canada cannot intervene on your behalf if you do not meet entry or exit requirements for the United States.”
To avoid issues, the government suggests placing your devices in airplane mode to avoid unintended downloads that could complicate your screening.
And there is a precedent for this. CNN reports that Dr. Rasha Alawieh, an assistant professor and physician at Brown University, was deported to Lebanon after U.S. border agents found deleted photos of the Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah and Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on her phone. Dr. Alawieh states that she deleted the pictures because she didn’t want to give the authorities a reason to believe she supports Hezbollah and the Ayatollah politically or militarily.
The U.S. says that it’s essential to search devices for national security. And while this goes against the country’s Fourth Amendment, the U.S. Supreme Court has indicated that border agents conducting warrantless searches on devices is an exception.
I know quite a few Canadians who’ve recently travelled to the U.S. to report on events, and I haven’t heard of any issues. However, just to be safe, my phone will be in airplane mode when I travel to the U.S. later this month. Better safe than sorry.
Image credit: Shutterstock
Source: Canada-U.S. travel advice, via: CNN
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