Canadians traveling to the US are being cautioned by the government that US border guards have the right to inspect visitors’ electronic devices, such as phones, computers, and tablets, without giving a cause.
The updated travel alert, which was made public online, advises Canadians to “expect scrutiny” by the US Border Guards when they cross the border and cautions that noncompliance might result in device confiscation, travel delays, or non-US nationals being denied entrance.
Passwords to unlock devices may be requested by Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers during inspections in accordance with US legislation. Refusing the request might result in lengthy delays and the seizure of the travelers’ equipment.
Before crossing, the advice advises putting devices on airplane mode to avoid inadvertently downloading external data, which might make screening more difficult.
The action is in response to recent instances of these searches. Dr. Rasha Alawieh, a Lebanese assistant professor and doctor at Brown University, was deported to Lebanon last month after US agents at Boston Logan International Airport found deleted images of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and the late Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah on her phone.
According to the filing, “Dr. Alawieh explained that she did not want to give authorities the impression that she supports Hezbollah and the Ayatollah politically or militarily, which is why she deleted these multiple photos one to two days before she arrived at Logan Airport,” according to WCVB.
Civil liberties organizations have long denounced the practice as intrusive, despite US officials’ insistence that gadget searches are essential for national security.
Citing the Fourth Amendment’s “border search exception,” the US Supreme Court has maintained border officers’ right to inspect devices without a warrant.
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