How to legally cross a US (or other) border without surrendering your data and passwords

When they don’t believe you.

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The bolded parts are why you always got tested. Your smart planning ended up matching a criminal profile. This isnt just the US, it seems to be common in a number of countries. Been that way for a long time.

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While this is not an unreasonable post (along with reasonable, if depressing comments here), it seems to all amount to “you are going to get fucked so you may as well bring some lube”.

I don’t think I’ll be visiting my family in America anytime soon…

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As always context is important. BB tends towards perpetual pessimism

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Why not try this.

Use a simple cell phone that has no internet connection that way you have no passwords to give up. Then get a cheap laptop that you can either throw away or give away to someone and use thumb-drive with portable software so you’ll have no personal info on it. then you can either mail it to yourself or destroy it before you cross the border. That way you don’t have any information to give them.

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I wish there was more info in the article about the legality. I live in Canada and go back and forth to US and have seen the notices that Customs has the right to search computers, etc. BUT, dont they have to have a reason for doing so?

For iOS folk and ipad users, like myself. Why not just make sure you have a backup of your system, etc. Prior to crossing the border, change your password and settings so that your password is complex like 20 digits, and you make sure that you purposefully enter (or give customs) the wrong first or last character. Then change your settings to, DELETE ENTIRE CONTENTS OF IPAD after INOCORRECTLY entering the password 2 times.

That means that 1) you have been compliant 2) given them your password to allow access, and 3) since this is a "new password, since I recently changed it, it is possible I have not correctly entered it. All in all, this means that you’ve complied with them and its either their fault, i.e, they have incorrectly entered the password, and lost your data!

And, even if they give you your own ipad and ask you to enter it, you can still force the ipad to erase all the data on it, they could be staring over your shoulder, or, you can just give them a typed version of your password, that you have tucked away in a secret place, like your wallet, etc.

Of course, since you dont know what they are doing with your data, in the back room, you have every right to protect yourself, and to perserve whatever it is that is precious to youL your poetry, your secret CIA contact files, your address book.

If the US government is going to treat its citizens like criminals, without good reason, then you have a right to protect all and any of your PERSONAL information.

So, I think this is flawless, and its pretty simple. It’s a failsafe and its a necessary one, given that we now live in a world where even a Buddhist monk can and will be profiled, simply because we are all being profiled—well, at least those of us with darker skin, or strange last names, etc.

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Ahem.

Jewish Telegram: BEGIN WORRYING. STOP. DETAILS TO FOLLOW. STOP.

:wink:

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I like your thinking. I’m going to look into doing that if I ever decide to travel out of the US.

there are Linux distros that run from USB drives. use that for the major things, store the documents in the cloud and when you are done, reboot the laptop to Windows that has nothing on it except basic stuff (like the pro-Drumpf Facebook account you setup). If you need the USB drive, mail it to yourself like you said.

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And with our help. Americans went crazy with fear, anger, and stupidity, and helped bin Laden destroy freedom in the US.

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I’d like to be wrong on this, but I suspect that the officers would lay charges of obstruction of justice and/or destruction of evidence, and pretty much ruin your day.

On a related note, US-Born NASA Scientist Detained At The Border Until He Unlocked His Phone

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The G-28 actually should be printed on blue paper. The EOIR-28, allowing your lawyer to submit a request for bond hearing, for example, is the one that should be on green paper. FWIW, https://www.uscis.gov/g-28 and https://www.justice.gov/eoir/list-downloadable-eoir-forms
But really, you should make sure you’ve checked in with your immigration lawyer before you travel if you’re not a US citizen.

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No.  

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Or, just go by private jet. Then you don’t have to go through any type of security.

Just thought I’d bring that up again.

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Want to carry digital data across national boundaries secretly. Easy, leave all you stuff behind, check with your isp they do have data storage for upload, encrypt the files you want and store with your ISP.
Travel to foreign nation, buy new digital devices and set up accounts. When online log into your ISPs website and download your encrypted files and decrypt, done.
When leaving, encrypt and upload new file to your ISP and sell the device, (if it leaves your sight at customs you will never be able to trust it anyhow).
Return home, and load those files from your ISP onto your devices, done and finished. Be wary of foreign bought devices and any device that has left you sight in some foreign governments control, better to leave it behind.
Your travel device, should just be barely good enough, cheap and near disposable. If you really want to keep it, simply air freight it back separately.

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Yeah. They have to feel like it. They certainly don’t need to explain themselves to you, non-citizen. He’ll, I’m a citizen and they don’t need to explain it to me either. That’s the way power works.

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“I’ll give you my Club Penguin password when you pry it from my cold, dead hands”

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Isn’t it a serious violation of privacy to look at your phone/laptop?
I’ve never been to the States and have nothing to hide, but if they request me to give my email / computer / phone / social accounts password otherwise they don’t let me enter, they can be sure I’m going back!
Can’t believe anyone actually accepts to give all that data away.
Giving them a facade account/phone is not a solution. The solution is to tell them to f*** off.

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Also, if it is the wrong shade of green it’ll probably be invalid and it will be your fault.

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"One somewhat extreme method he suggests is to set up two-factor authentication for your sensitive accounts"
Somewhat extreme? Two-factor authentication should be a normality.

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