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USA Today
14-07-2025
- USA Today
Is it legal to use a burner phone to cross US borders?
A burner phone might be one way to avoid having your personal data scrutinized when crossing U.S. borders, even if you're not hiding anything. Travelers are reportedly facing higher rates of inspections when attempting to enter the country as U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents follow directives to bolster national security. Any traveler – whether a citizen or visitor – can be subject to an inspection, which is meant to verify their identity and assess any risk of crime or contraband, according to the agency. During the more common basic search, agents are legally allowed to search information stored directly on electronic devices, including photos and deleted folders, without a warrant. For those applying for a visa, social media profiles have to be made public in order to be examined by the Department of Homeland Security. CBP Assistant Commissioner Hilton Beckham previously told USA TODAY, the agency "follows strict policies and directives when it comes to searching electronic media." However, more reports of detainments and deportations during what legal experts are calling a period of "more aggressive" enforcement and questioning at the border are worrying some travelers, who fear that certain content on their phone could get them in trouble. In April, several major Canadian institutions advised their staff to only take a burner phone if they need to travel to the U.S. CBP did not respond to USA TODAY's request for comment. Travelers, even U.S. citizens, are facing newfound fears over more thorough vetting at borders, along with what some legal experts call "a chilling effect" on our freedom of expression. To limit what can be looked at during border searches, they may be considering packing a burner phone with them instead of their regular one. Under this idea, travelers would leave their primary phone at home and bring a secondary phone with minimal personal information stored on it instead. This device would be exclusively "a travel phone, and has very limited functionality," said Esha Bhandari, deputy director of the American Civil Liberties Union Speech, Privacy, and Technology Project. She added, "We've heard anecdotally that some travelers may be wanting to do that more." Here's what people should know about traveling with a burner phone. Is it illegal to travel with a burner phone? No, it's not illegal to use a travel phone, even if it seems suspicious to have a nearly empty phone. "At the outset, there's no legal barrier to traveling with certain digital information," Bhandari said. Basically, this means your phone doesn't have to contain all your information to enter the country. In fact, one of the government's legal defenses asserting these searches aren't an invasion of privacy is that travelers can control what they have on their devices, according to Bhandari. Some courts have had sidebar discussions that it's akin to having the contents of your luggage searched. "So the government itself acknowledges that if travelers can control what they bring, then that must mean that you can travel without a device that has your everyday things on it, right?" she said. Legal organizations like the ACLU and Electronic Frontier Foundation have argued that our devices store much more information than that, making these searches more intrusive. Should I travel with a burner phone? Each traveler needs to make their own risk assessment to determine whether it's beneficial to travel with a secondary device, according to Bhandari. Some people who carry sensitive work or personal information on their phone may find it worthwhile, while others who already have a separate work phone can leave one at home, she continued. "For other travelers, having a separate device may not be feasible, but they can still choose what data to physically retain on their device before they travel." Keep in mind that your rights at the border can vary depending on your immigration status, so the outcome could vary. So while U.S. citizens and legal residents must still be allowed into the country, visitors and non-visa holders could be turned away. "No traveler is obligated to have all their personal information on them," Bhandari said. "But I think, unfortunately, in the current environment, travelers do have to be aware of that risk." Despite your immigration status, if you refuse to have your phone searched, agents have the authority to confiscate it for weeks or even months. Other tips for privacy at US borders If you're still on the fence about traveling with a burner phone, here's what Bhandari recommends during border searches:
Yahoo
01-06-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
US immigration authorities collecting DNA information of children in criminal database
US immigration authorities are collecting and uploading the DNA information of migrants, including children, to a national criminal database, according to government documents released earlier this month. The database includes the DNA of people who were either arrested or convicted of a crime, which law enforcement uses when seeking a match for DNA collected at a crime scene. However, most of the people whose DNA has been collected by Customs and Border Patrol (CBP), the agency that published the documents, were not listed as having been accused of any felonies. Regardless, CBP is now creating a detailed DNA profile on migrants that will be permanently searchable by law enforcement, which amounts to a 'massive expansion of genetic surveillance', one expert said. The DNA information is stored in a database managed by the FBI called the Combined DNA Index System (Codis), which is used across the country by local, state and federal law enforcement to identify suspects of crimes using their DNA data. Related: Doge gained access to sensitive data of migrant children, including reports of abuse Wired first reported the practice and the existence of these documents, and estimates there are more than 133,000 migrant teens and children whose DNA has been collected and uploaded to Codis. One of them was just four years old. 'In order to secure our borders, CBP is devoting every resource available to identify who is entering our country. We are not letting human smugglers, child sex traffickers and other criminals enter American communities,' Hilton Beckham, the assistant commissioner of public affairs at CBP, told Wired in a statement. 'Toward this end, CBP collects DNA samples for submission to the FBI's Combined DNA Index System … from persons in CBP custody who are arrested on federal criminal charges, and from aliens detained under CBP's authority who are subject to fingerprinting and not otherwise exempt from the collection requirement.' Experts at Georgetown University and the Center on Privacy and Technology published a report last week that found that CBP was collecting the DNA of almost every migrant detained, regardless of how long they were detained. The agency has added more than 1.5m DNA profiles to Codis since 2020, a 5,000% increase in just three years, according to the report. It's a 'massive expansion of genetic surveillance and an unjustified invasion of privacy,' according to one of the authors of the report, Emerald Tse. 'The program reinforces harmful narratives about immigrants and intensifies existing policing practices that target immigrant communities and communities of color, making us all less safe,' Tse said in a statement. The documents CBP published, which detail each individual whose DNA was swabbed, their age and country of origin, where they were transferred to, and what they were charged with, date back to as early as 2020. The latest document published is from the first quarter of 2025. There are hundreds of thousands of entries of people whose DNA has been collected by CBP between 2020 and 2024. Of the more than 130,000 individuals who were children or teens, nearly 230 were children under the age of 13 and more than 30,000 were between 14 and 17 years old, according to Wired. CBP first launched a pilot program to begin collecting detainees' DNA data in 2020, in accordance with a Department of Justice rule that gave the agency three years to comply with a new requirement to collect genetic samples and upload it to Codis. At the time, CBP wrote that it was collecting DNA data from non-US citizens who had been detained between the ages of 14 and 79. The Department of Homeland Security and CBP policy generally states that children under 14 are not obliged to have their DNA information collected, though there is some discretion afforded to field officers. However, this pace of genetic data collection would not have been possible in a criminal legal context, according to the Center on Privacy and Technology and Georgetown report. 'Until 2020, almost all the DNA profiles in Codis's 'offender' database were added by state and local police and other criminal law enforcement agencies,' the report reads. 'In the criminal context, there are some limitations on when, how and from whom criminal law enforcement agencies can take DNA which make the process of amassing samples cumbersome and resource-intensive.' Related: Undocumented man accused of making threat to Trump's life may be victim of frame-up The expansion was possible partly because there are fewer limitations on DNA collection within the context of immigration. 'In the immigration context, the only limitation on DNA collection is that a person must be 'detained'. But the meaning of the term 'detained' in the immigration context is notoriously broad, vague and ever shifting,' the report reads. According to the CBP website, the agency sends the DNA data directly to the FBI and does not store or maintain the DNA data itself. That genetic information is stored by the FBI indefinitely, according to the Center on Privacy and Technology and Georgetown report. 'How would it change your behavior to know that the government had a drop of your blood – or saliva – containing your 'entire genetic code, which will be kept indefinitely in a government-controlled refrigerator in a warehouse in Northern Virginia'?' the report reads, quoting CBP's documents. 'Would you feel free to seek out the medical or reproductive care you needed? To attend protests and voice dissent? To gather together with the people of your choosing?'
The Guardian
31-05-2025
- Health
- The Guardian
US immigration authorities collecting DNA information of children in criminal database
US immigration authorities are collecting and uploading the DNA information of migrants, including children, to a national criminal database, according to government documents released earlier this month. The database includes the DNA of people who were either arrested or convicted of a crime, which law enforcement uses when seeking a match for DNA collected at a crime scene. However, most of the people whose DNA has been collected by Customs and Border Patrol (CBP), the agency that published the documents, were not listed as having been accused of any felonies. Regardless, CBP is now creating a detailed DNA profile on migrants that will be permanently searchable by law enforcement, which amounts to a 'massive expansion of genetic surveillance', one expert said. The DNA information is stored in a database managed by the FBI called the Combined DNA Index System (Codis), which is used across the country by local, state and federal law enforcement to identify suspects of crimes using their DNA data. Wired first reported the practice and the existence of these documents, and estimates there are more than 133,000 migrant teens and children whose DNA has been collected and uploaded to Codis. One of them was just four years old. 'In order to secure our borders, CBP is devoting every resource available to identify who is entering our country. We are not letting human smugglers, child sex traffickers and other criminals enter American communities,' Hilton Beckham, assistant commissioner of public affairs at CBP, told Wired in a statement. 'Toward this end, CBP collects DNA samples for submission to the FBI's Combined DNA Index System … from persons in CBP custody who are arrested on federal criminal charges, and from aliens detained under CBP's authority who are subject to fingerprinting and not otherwise exempt from the collection requirement.' Experts at Georgetown University and the Center on Privacy and Technology published a report last week that found that CBP was collecting the DNA of almost every migrant detained, regardless of how long they were detained. The agency has added more than 1.5m DNA profiles to Codis since 2020, a 5,000% increase in just three years, according to the report. It's a 'massive expansion of genetic surveillance and an unjustified invasion of privacy,' according to one of the authors of the report, Emerald Tse. 'The program reinforces harmful narratives about immigrants and intensifies existing policing practices that target immigrant communities and communities of color, making us all less safe,' Tse said in a statement. The documents CBP published, which detail each individual whose DNA was swabbed, their age and country of origin, where they were transferred to, and what they were charged with, date back to as early as 2020. The latest document published is from the first quarter of 2025. There are hundreds of thousands of entries of people whose DNA has been collected by CBP between 2020 and 2024. Of the more than 130,000 individuals who were children or teens, nearly 230 were children under the age of 13 and more than 30,000 were between 14 and 17 years old, according to Wired. CBP first launched a pilot program to begin collecting detainees' DNA data in 2020, in accordance with a Department of Justice rule that gave the agency three years to comply with a new requirement to collect genetic samples and upload it to Codis. At the time, CBP wrote that it was collecting DNA data from non-US citizens who had been detained between the ages of 14 and 79. The Department of Homeland Security and CBP policy generally states that children under 14 are not obliged to have their DNA information collected, though there is some discretion afforded to field officers. However, this pace of genetic data collection would not have been possible in a criminal legal context, according to the Center on Privacy and Technology and Georgetown report. 'Until 2020, almost all the DNA profiles in Codis's 'offender' database were added by state and local police and other criminal law enforcement agencies,' the report reads. 'In the criminal context, there are some limitations on when, how and from whom criminal law enforcement agencies can take DNA which make the process of amassing samples cumbersome and resource-intensive.' Sign up to TechScape A weekly dive in to how technology is shaping our lives after newsletter promotion The expansion was possible partly because there are fewer limitations on DNA collection within the context of immigration. 'In the immigration context, the only limitation on DNA collection is that a person must be 'detained'. But the meaning of the term 'detained' in the immigration context is notoriously broad, vague and ever shifting,' the report reads. According to the CBP website, the agency sends the DNA data directly to the FBI and does not store or maintain the DNA data itself. That genetic information is stored by the FBI indefinitely, according to the Center on Privacy and Technology and Georgetown report. 'How would it change your behavior to know that the government had a drop of your blood – or saliva – containing your 'entire genetic code, which will be kept indefinitely in a government-controlled refrigerator in a warehouse in Northern Virginia'?' the report reads, quoting CBP's documents. 'Would you feel free to seek out the medical or reproductive care you needed? To attend protests and voice dissent? To gather together with the people of your choosing?'
Jordan News
05-05-2025
- Jordan News
How to Secure Your Phone Data Before Traveling Abroad - Jordan News
As the summer travel season approaches, some travelers heading to the United States are increasingly concerned about the possibility of their phones and other electronic devices being searched by border protection officials. This concern has led some to adopt precautionary measures, including using a "temporary phone" while traveling. اضافة اعلان According to a report published by The New York Times, U.S. federal authorities have had the authority to search travelers' personal electronic devices at the border for over a decade, and these searches have noticeably increased in recent years. Just last year, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Agency reported conducting nearly 43,000 electronic device searches, compared to about 38,000 in 2023. Hilton Beckham, Deputy Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection, explained in a statement that these searches are relatively rare, affecting less than 0.01% of travelers, and are conducted to investigate content related to smuggling, terrorism, and information related to visitor admissions. However, recent incidents have shown that phone data, such as photos of weapons or social media posts, may be grounds for some travelers being denied entry into the United States. In this context, Esha Bhandari, an attorney with the American Civil Liberties Union, expressed concern about certain groups of travelers being targeted for stricter searches, including lawyers and journalists who work to protect their sources. The report offers a set of tips for travelers to reduce the risks of their data being searched, starting with assessing the level of personal risk. If a traveler carries sensitive data or has a background that might raise suspicion, more serious precautions are advised. Tips for Travelers: Low Risk: Use a strong passcode for your phone, disable biometric measures, and delete apps that contain sensitive information, such as encrypted messaging apps and social media apps that may have controversial content. Medium Risk: Make a full backup of your phone's data, wipe the device before traveling, and restore the data after crossing the border. High Risk: Consider using a "temporary phone" — a cheap device that only carries the essential apps for the trip, along with a temporary email account for travel-related information. Some travelers, such as the journalist who wrote the report, resort to this last option to protect their sensitive data and confidential sources from any potential exposure by border officials. This may involve carrying a simple Android phone and activating a temporary eSIM upon arrival at the destination. The report emphasizes that there is no one-size-fits-all solution, and the best approach depends on the traveler's specific circumstances and the type of data they are carrying on their devices. However, caution and awareness of the potential risks remain crucial for all travelers to the United States.
Indian Express
03-05-2025
- Indian Express
How to secure your phone's data before traveling abroad
When I travel to Asia this summer, I plan to leave my iPhone at home. Instead, I'll pack a different phone lacking my staple apps, like Instagram, Slack and Signal. It won't even be logged in to my work email. No, I'm not planning a digital detox. I'm choosing to travel with what's known as a burner phone because my personal device contains sensitive data that I don't want others, particularly US border protection officers, to search. For over a decade, the federal government has had the authority to conduct border searches of travelers' personal electronics, including phones, laptops and tablets. In recent years, such inspections have steadily increased, though they happen to only a small portion of people entering the United States. Last year, the US Customs and Border Protection agency reported that it had conducted roughly 43,000 electronics searches, up from about 38,000 in 2023. To be clear, I may be particularly paranoid as a journalist who is constantly working to protect confidential sources from being outed, so a burner phone is an extreme measure that most people won't find practical or even necessary. Hilton Beckham, assistant commissioner of Customs and Border Protection, said in a statement that less than 0.01% of travelers have their devices searched. These searches, she said, are conducted to look for content related to contraband, terrorism and information related to visitor admissibility. But in recent incidents, travelers have been denied entry into the United States in part because of phone data, such as photos of guns and social media posts about protests. 'The bigger concern is that the government can single out people it wants to search,' said Esha Bhandari, a lawyer with the American Civil Liberties Union. 'We've seen anecdotal evidence of more aggressive searches on the border, including lawyers who have attorney-client privileges and people seen as dissidents.' In other words, while no rules have changed when it comes to entering the United States, a shift in how frequently the policies are enforced may be underway. Vacationers and business travelers alike should be judicious about the data they carry on their devices. There's no one-size-fits-all solution, and the approach that works best for you depends on your lifestyle and profession. Here's what to do. Assess your risk First consider who you are, what you do for work and what's on your phone, laptop or tablet, said Jeremiah Grossman, a cybersecurity expert. If, for instance, you're a retired US citizen carrying some vacation photos and text conversations with friends from your book club on your device, you probably don't have to worry. But if you're a student on a visa who has been involved in government protests, there may be media on your phone that could create issues. 'If law enforcement had everything on your phone and access to everything, would that be bad for you?' Grossman said. From there, assess whether your risk is high or low and pick an approach. Low risk: Use a passcode, and delete some apps If you're only mildly concerned about your data being searched, start with turning off biometrics such as fingerprint and face recognition sensors. Instead, rely only on a passcode for unlocking your device. To turn off Face ID on an iPhone, open the settings app, tap Face ID & Passcode, enter your passcode and toggle off the switch for iPhone Unlock. For Android phones, the steps depend on the model, but generally in the settings app you can type a search for the Face & Fingerprint Unlock menu and disable the settings there. Using only a passcode can be an effective measure for U.S. citizens because it is legally more difficult for the government to compel you to share a passcode than it is for an officer to take your phone and hold it up to your face to unlock it, Bhandari said. But while citizens can decline to provide a passcode, visa holders and tourists visiting the United States run the risk of being denied entry if they refuse to comply, Bhandari added. So it's best to also take the extra step of deleting any apps containing information that could become problematic, such as Instagram, Signal or X. Medium risk: Back up and purge your data If you think there's a modest possibility that the government could search your phone, consider backing up a copy of all your data and purging your device before returning to the United States, Grossman said. To make this process simpler, you can back up your data to an online server, such as Apple 's iCloud for iPhones or Google One for Android devices. That way, you can later restore your data over the internet by entering your account credentials. To back up your data on an iPhone to iCloud, open the settings app, tap your name, tap iCloud and select iCloud Backup. Switch on Back Up This iPhone and tap Back Up Now. Then, to purge your iPhone data, in the settings app go to the General menu, tap Transfer or Reset iPhone, tap Erase All Content and Settings and follow the steps. To back up your data on an Android device to Google One, open the settings app, tap Google, then tap Backup. To purge your Android data, the steps depend on your phone model, but generally you can do a search for the Factory Reset menu in the settings app. After you cross the border with the wiped device, you will see an option to restore the device from a backup when you go to set it up, at which point you can enter your account credentials to get your data back. (Just make sure to have your password written down somewhere.) High risk: Carry a burner phone If you think it's very likely that U.S. border officials will want to look at your phone, the most robust solution is to leave your personal devices at home and carry a burner phone used exclusively for travel. Here's how I plan to do it. — I'll carry a cheap Android phone with only the software necessary for my trip, including ride-hailing and maps apps. — I'll log in to one email account I created exclusively for travel to retrieve itineraries and other trip-related information. — When I land, I'll connect to a temporary cellular plan on a foreign network using an eSIM, a digitized version of a SIM card, which can be activated through an app such as Nomad, Airalo or GigSky. (I wrote a guide to using eSIM technology in a previous column.) Then, when I return home, I'll copy all my vacation photos from the vacation phone to my iPhone and put the burner in a drawer until my next trip.
