# "Locking down your device when crossing borders" (AP article) **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Tags:** vacation-travel\ **Created:** [May 4, 2025, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/locking-down-your-device-when-crossing-borders-ap-article/1017868 "2025-05-04T15:09:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2025, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/locking-down-your-device-when-crossing-borders-ap-article/1017868/41 "2025-05-07T01:04:12Z")
> [@susan](#): > > Really no need to be insulting to make your point, Beck. Except how many times have people gotten themselves in trouble by talking about their criminal behavior or holding on to pix they shouldn’t? It’s advice more people should listen to. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2025, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/locking-down-your-device-when-crossing-borders-ap-article/1017868/42 "2025-05-07T02:33:33Z")
I wasn’t insulting anyone in particular. My homespun idea to refrain from having the phone where it’s visible if you don’t want the fear of the problem, is simple to fix. And please please Mister Lawyer man do not keep my privileged info on a device that easily lost, stolen or compromised. Don’t even keep a pix of your kid in the bathtub. No. Don’t do that. No Doper was insulted in this thread by me. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2025, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/locking-down-your-device-when-crossing-borders-ap-article/1017868/43 "2025-05-07T02:49:27Z")
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**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2025, 2:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/locking-down-your-device-when-crossing-borders-ap-article/1017868/44 "2025-05-07T02:51:23Z")
**Moderating** Once again you are distracting from a thread and making it about yourself. Stop doing this. In this thread, you’re thread banned. Do not post any further in this thread. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2025, 3:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/locking-down-your-device-when-crossing-borders-ap-article/1017868/46 "2025-05-07T03:07:04Z")
> [@DSeid](#): > > This level of paranoia is reasonable for a green card holder or even a legal immigrant in this fascist time, if there could be even anything that might be activist related on a device. Scary and upsetting that such isn’t able to be completely dismissed as unrealistic. My concern is that my phone has access to chats on a variety of services, including comments of friends who are more vulnerable than you or i. Friends who supported the Palestinian side of the Gaza conflict on college campuses. Friends who are trans. I plan to put most of my stuff back on the burner phone. Including my phone number and signal and WhatsApp. But i won’t put my text history on the phone, nor link it to discord. If the feds want to track me on my vacation on Europe, have at it. I’ll be square dancing. ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2025, 5:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/locking-down-your-device-when-crossing-borders-ap-article/1017868/47 "2025-05-07T05:49:53Z")
> [@DSeid](#): > > It is prudent to expect in the present was we have evidence of is or is not happening in the present. The problem is, the evidence that people are being forcibly deported to foreign black sites based on their online political activity is that one could oneself be forcibly deported to a foreign black site based on one’s online political activity. I have no interest in becoming someone else’s evidence, so in the event I am required to travel to the US, I will take all necessary steps to ensure my online political activity is walled off from easy scrutiny. ---
**Author:** ![DPRK](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4491bb/32.png) [@DPRK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DPRK)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2025, 6:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/locking-down-your-device-when-crossing-borders-ap-article/1017868/48 "2025-05-07T06:37:22Z")
You do not have to be a journalist, lawyer, politician/political activist or businessman/woman to not want your data vacuumed and device rooted by feds and other officials. No need to convince me how sensitive your data is or is not; why would you not have the same right to privacy you would when not crossing a border? Luckily, this is in some aspects less of a problem than it used to be since at least _some_ encrypted information can be safely kept and accessed over the Internet. The basic advice given in the article is valid. ---
**Author:** ![Roderick\_Femm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/roderick_femm/32/14875_2.png) [@Roderick\_Femm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roderick_Femm)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2025, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/locking-down-your-device-when-crossing-borders-ap-article/1017868/49 "2025-05-07T20:52:35Z")
On the lateral topic of paper boarding passes, we were informed in another thread that the UN is planning on digitizing air travel (not sure how they have the authority to do that) and RyanAir soon will abandon paper boarding passes altogether, in favor of smartphones. I like how RyanAir [plans ahead](https://www.businessinsider.com/boarding-passes-ryanair-ending-paper-digital-app-first-airline-2025-3): > - It’s unclear how Ryanair passengers without smartphones would board after the change takes effect. I just don’t believe that there won’t be some alternative to smartphones. It will probably cost money, while the smartphone one will be free, or something like that. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2025, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/locking-down-your-device-when-crossing-borders-ap-article/1017868/50 "2025-05-07T20:58:25Z")
Actually, I’m not sure this works. If i log into my Google account, i think Google Play will default to reloading all of my apps, and even if i uninstall some of them, they’ll still be in my profile. And some of them will automatically log in. And if i don’t log into my Google account, i don’t have my address book. And I’m actually going to need a lot of addresses. ---
**Author:** ![FinsToTheLeft](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/finstotheleft/32/2930_2.png) [@FinsToTheLeft](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FinsToTheLeft)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2025, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/locking-down-your-device-when-crossing-borders-ap-article/1017868/51 "2025-05-07T21:07:53Z")
> [@Roderick\_Femm](#): > > On the lateral topic of paper boarding passes, we were informed in another thread that the UN is planning on digitizing air travel (not sure how they have the authority to do that) and RyanAir soon will abandon paper boarding passes altogether, in favor of smartphones. The International Civil Aviation Organization is a UN agency. > **[About ICAO](https://www.icao.int/about-icao/Pages/default.aspx)** ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2025, 5:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/locking-down-your-device-when-crossing-borders-ap-article/1017868/52 "2025-05-08T05:08:41Z")
> [@Roderick\_Femm](#): > > not sure how they have the authority to do that Because the UN member states gave them that authority by treaty: > **[Convention on International Civil Aviation](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Convention_on_International_Civil_Aviation)** > > The Convention on International Civil Aviation, also known as the Chicago Convention, established the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), a specialized agency of the United Nations charged with coordinating international air travel. The Convention establishes rules of airspace, aircraft registration and safety, security, and sustainability, and details the rights of the signatories in relation to air travel. The convention also contains provisions pertaining to taxation. > The doc... ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2025, 10:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/locking-down-your-device-when-crossing-borders-ap-article/1017868/53 "2025-05-08T10:39:40Z")
> [@echoreply](#): > > The issue now is the consequences. Yeah; risk has two main factors to consider: probability _and severity_. ---
**Author:** ![echoreply](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/echoreply/32/3641_2.png) [@echoreply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/echoreply)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2025, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/locking-down-your-device-when-crossing-borders-ap-article/1017868/54 "2025-05-09T03:20:26Z")
I got reminded of this, and it is important enough I’m going to post in both threads that are discussing this topic. When talking to immigration, border patrol, ICE, TSA: **DO NOT LIE** You may be asked questions, you may choose to answer or refuse to answer. There may be consequences to both things. Whatever you choose, though, do not lie. If you don’t want to answer a question, clearly state that you will not answer, but do not give an answer that is a lie. Staying “silent” (where silent means clearly articulating that you refuse to answer) is a protected right. Lying to a federal agent is a criminal offense, even if the actual thing you’re covering up is not criminal. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2025, 6:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/locking-down-your-device-when-crossing-borders-ap-article/1017868/55 "2025-05-09T06:16:24Z")
You can have more than one Google account. I have two - one that is my public-facing identity for my YouTube channel and another that is my private identity that my phone and chromebook use. Some of my devices are logged into both for convenience, but it’s quite possible to keep them separate ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2025, 12:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/locking-down-your-device-when-crossing-borders-ap-article/1017868/56 "2025-05-09T12:14:29Z")
I have 4, and the email on this phone is logged into 3 of them. But all the stuff I’d like to have when i travel (my address book, subscriptions to media, paid versions of games) are associated with my main Google account. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/locking-down-your-device-when-crossing-borders-ap-article/1017868.md?page=2)