No Warrant Needed: Border Agents in NY, CT, and VT Can Now Search Your Phone

Remember to turn off all biometrics for unlocking your phone, if not now, then at least when traveling internationally. They can scan your face or your fingerprint without a warrant. But they can’t compel you to provide potentially incriminating information including passwords, codes and patterns. Self-destruct codes will likely get you arrested for obstruction of justice and destruction of evidence though, so use those at your own risk. I wouldn’t recommend it.

Best to never keep anything you wouldn’t want a cop or fed seeing anywhere on your device. If you have any materials that you wish to keep private, store them elsewhere as much as possible. Either never store them on your device or regularly back them up somewhere secure and wipe your device clean. Make sure all remote access to those materials are behind secure encrypted password protected connections.

Remember, know the law so that you may follow it to its letter and no further. If you must comply, comply. If you can, don’t comply. Know your rights and practice them. Never volunteer information to law enforcement even if you’re innocent. You don’t know what they know, what they are wanting to hear, what can be misunderstood, confused or contorted to put you into trouble. Every day is shut the fuck up Friday. Nobody will protect you but you.

Refusing to unlock your properly secured device for them will result in its confiscation and perhaps your detention.

Password managers and browser history are sticking points. You could not use your device for anything, but one of your services might rat you out.

You kinda need a travel phone.