6 years ago
3
Travelling overseas? What to do if a border agent demands access to your digital device
Searching a smartphone is different from searching luggage. Our smartphones carry our innermost thoughts, intimate pictures, sensitive workplace documents and private messages.
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I totally agree with NinjaKlaus. I personally don't even take a phone if I go overseas. I agree that a basic no-contract, no-frills pay-as-you-go phone in the host country is often the best anyway. I also bring with me a very basic digital camera that has no internet capability, so that I can take pics on that.
The issue for me is partly one of privacy, but also I don't want the identity-theft risks that could come with losing my regular phone, especially as it would be more stressful if it happened while I was overseas with it. Furthermore, cost can be an issue - often, bringing your own phone with you will run you up much more charges if you use data or if you make any calls, than it would for the equivalent activity on a pay-as-you-go no-frills phone from the host country. Plus, if you run into issues with your usual phone not working well while overseas, you can't get help with that. As opposed to getting a no-frills phone from the host country, you can at least have an easier time getting help from the local cell carrier store.
This is why cloud backup is very important, if you know ahead of time you must leave the country and that this is possible you should back up to icloud or google drive and then wipe your phone, leave contacts on and some things like weather otherwise it will look very suspicious to the border people, but wipe things you care about keeping private, don't use Facebook apps and the like until you get where you are going, then do the process again when leaving the country. This is a hassle and sad that if you want to maintain privacy you must hide your stuff from the Governments of the world, but it's better than them going through your life.
Also, chances are you might not be able to use your phone in whatever country you are going to, do you really need to take it? Perhaps getting a temporary no-frills phone in the host country is better? Here in the US, we can get an AT&T Go Phone for about $100 and it comes with a month of service. I know some newer high-end phones are world capable though.
Everyone always thinks this can happen to everyone but them. It's good info to know when it inevitably happens to you.