Burner phones are now mandatory when traveling to the US.
Burner phones are now mandatory when traveling to the US.
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180 comments
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The issue isn't your SIM, it's the contents of your phone. If you just swap SIMs, your phone still has all your data from when you were using your regular SIM.
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Just turn it off before going through Customs.
That's not some sort of magic spell to protect your data. If border agents are asking to see the contents of your phone, they won't be amused with, "it's turned off." The only thing turning your phone off achieves it leaving it encrypted which (among other things) means bio-metrics won't work. Border agents can physically compel a bio-metric unlock. While they can't force you to type your password, if you don't comply you'll almost certainly be banned from the country.
The only time I’ve been forced to turn on my phone/laptop was a layover in the UK.
And I've never been forced to show the contents of my devices on dozens and dozens of trips to the States. It doesn't mean they won't ask next time.
EDIT changed boarder to border.
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I wonder if making sure your phone is dead would work? Like assuming they’re choosing you randomly to search, they might not want to go through the effort of getting you to charge your phone to search your phone. I’ve never dealt with this situation at all though so I don’t really know.
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They image (parts of, I assume) the phone. Cellebrite is a popular tool. “It’s dead” “no problem, here’s a charge cable”.
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What phone unlocks with biometric on startup? I have to input my password any time I restart.
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Not sure if I wasn’t clear, but I said:
The only thing turning your phone off achieves it leaving it encrypted which (among other things) means bio-metrics won’t work.
By that I meant on boot your phone is encrypted, and bio-metrics can’t decrypt it, you need the password.
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Brilliant. Sometimes the obvious items we set and forget needs a reminder.
In addition, just generally, stop using biometrics and only use encrypted messaging.
If you’re not using Signal or WIRE for personal texts and FaceTime, you’re doing it wrong. It’s a new era.
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180 comments