12 ms·

If your threat model means you can’t afford for border security to view your device, wipe the damn thing yourself before crossing the border and restore it from

If your threat model means you can’t afford for border security to view your device, wipe the damn thing yourself before crossing the border and restore it from an encrypted online backup on the other side. You’re just carrying a blank phone that you intend to set up and use later, and they can’t force you to install your backup onto a phone. Now, this is sus as hell, and you’ll probably draw all kinds of extra attention, but if border security wants access to your phone in the first place, you’re already in a weird place.

intrasight 2mo ago
Those who thought that a duress pin was a good idea for border crossing are probably going to choose this alternative. It doesn't have to be blank - just clean.
- krunck 2mo ago
  Unless you are an activist who is being targeted by a government. A "clean" OS can still have incriminating "evidence" planted on it.
deleted 2mo ago
[deleted]
bobthepanda 2mo ago
this isn't even that weird, when I worked in a BigTech it was pretty explicit that there were certain countries where you should not bring your actual work device through the border, and you'll get set up with a different one while in that country.
- tonyedgecombe 2mo ago
  It's a shame that the US appears on that list now.
  - badatnames 2mo ago
    Half of Europe does, it's just that everyone talks about the US like it's a special case because those searches happen routinely. It's legal to search a phone without reasonable suspicion at airports in the UK under the Terrorism act 2000 (pre-9/11!)
    - Varelion 2mo ago
      I really hate that these kinds of justifications almost always ends up to serve as a push for acceptance through apathy of the status-quo, as opposed to fueling that outrage that pushes for positive change.
    - slim 2mo ago
      UK is not europe
      - Ey7NFZ3P0nzAe 1mo ago
        UK definitely is in Europe, which is not the same as the European Union. Like Switzerland for example.
thenthenthen 2mo ago
Pff one time when travelling to the US I brought two laptops, macbook and a thinkpad. I just reinstalled the thinkpad and somehow the border patrol was very interested in it. Asked me to ‘show my gallery’… it was a guiless setup and only had a terminal, problem was… somehow my keyboard layout or something was messed up and i could not even login… i spend around 2 hours being questioned by 6 people…they didnt even take a look at the macbook
hinata08 2mo ago
The french cybersecurity agency (ANSSI) used to share leaflets to tell you to do just that. The US government wasn't named, but it's part of the ones that like to do some economic intelligence and no euro who read the news would trust it more than a banana republic when it comes to crossing the border. Now having a corporate device with little data is no longer outstanding. Everything is in the cloud these days. As for personal devices, you can explain you're taking a dumb cheap laptop for your holiday as you're working on a desktop PC at home. You're not taking your entire house when you're on a trip, just a laptop to check tourism information and post blog posts I myself bought a crap laptop on ebay to shove it in bags and backpacks and go to conferences and not be sad the day it's broken. but above all, he's a citizen so shouldn't care about looking "suspect". He has a right, not a privilege, to cross that border. They can explain a judge how he looked sus if they really want to search his home.
wesleywt 2mo ago
What is sus as hell is the US government. It is incredible how people here are accepting things that was outrageous a few years back.
- feoren 2mo ago
  > people here are accepting things Question: what does not accepting these things look like? Because voting, protesting, donating, and lawsuits haven't gotten anywhere. What are you suggesting we actually do?
- tremon 2mo ago
  They've been boiling that frog for 25 years now. Its flesh has long detached from the bones, it's the bones themselves that are now dissolving.
thrance 2mo ago
> You’re just carrying a blank phone that you intend to set up and use later, and they can’t force you to install your backup onto a phone. They can just make this illegal too, and ask for the keys to your backup, or detain you until you do. Point is, you can't gain freedom through technology. It was always a political thing.
- Cider9986 2mo ago
  You can hide a backup very well. Make a Proton account for drive over Tor and memorize the credentials. You can gain freedom though technology but if someone wants to torture you or a regime wants to put you in prison they can always do that. You could also gain freedom by being anonymous preventing getting caught, though technology.

intrasight 2mo ago

Those who thought that a duress pin was a good idea for border crossing are probably going to choose this alternative. It doesn't have to be blank - just clean.

krunck 2mo ago
Unless you are an activist who is being targeted by a government. A "clean" OS can still have incriminating "evidence" planted on it.

deleted 2mo ago

[deleted]

bobthepanda 2mo ago

this isn't even that weird, when I worked in a BigTech it was pretty explicit that there were certain countries where you should not bring your actual work device through the border, and you'll get set up with a different one while in that country.

tonyedgecombe 2mo ago
It's a shame that the US appears on that list now.
- badatnames 2mo ago
  Half of Europe does, it's just that everyone talks about the US like it's a special case because those searches happen routinely. It's legal to search a phone without reasonable suspicion at airports in the UK under the Terrorism act 2000 (pre-9/11!)
  - Varelion 2mo ago
    I really hate that these kinds of justifications almost always ends up to serve as a push for acceptance through apathy of the status-quo, as opposed to fueling that outrage that pushes for positive change.
  - slim 2mo ago
    UK is not europe
    - Ey7NFZ3P0nzAe 1mo ago
      UK definitely is in Europe, which is not the same as the European Union. Like Switzerland for example.

thenthenthen 2mo ago

Pff one time when travelling to the US I brought two laptops, macbook and a thinkpad. I just reinstalled the thinkpad and somehow the border patrol was very interested in it. Asked me to ‘show my gallery’… it was a guiless setup and only had a terminal, problem was… somehow my keyboard layout or something was messed up and i could not even login… i spend around 2 hours being questioned by 6 people…they didnt even take a look at the macbook

hinata08 2mo ago

The french cybersecurity agency (ANSSI) used to share leaflets to tell you to do just that. The US government wasn't named, but it's part of the ones that like to do some economic intelligence and no euro who read the news would trust it more than a banana republic when it comes to crossing the border. Now having a corporate device with little data is no longer outstanding. Everything is in the cloud these days. As for personal devices, you can explain you're taking a dumb cheap laptop for your holiday as you're working on a desktop PC at home. You're not taking your entire house when you're on a trip, just a laptop to check tourism information and post blog posts I myself bought a crap laptop on ebay to shove it in bags and backpacks and go to conferences and not be sad the day it's broken. but above all, he's a citizen so shouldn't care about looking "suspect". He has a right, not a privilege, to cross that border. They can explain a judge how he looked sus if they really want to search his home.

wesleywt 2mo ago

What is sus as hell is the US government. It is incredible how people here are accepting things that was outrageous a few years back.

feoren 2mo ago
> people here are accepting things Question: what does not accepting these things look like? Because voting, protesting, donating, and lawsuits haven't gotten anywhere. What are you suggesting we actually do?
tremon 2mo ago
They've been boiling that frog for 25 years now. Its flesh has long detached from the bones, it's the bones themselves that are now dissolving.

thrance 2mo ago

> You’re just carrying a blank phone that you intend to set up and use later, and they can’t force you to install your backup onto a phone. They can just make this illegal too, and ask for the keys to your backup, or detain you until you do. Point is, you can't gain freedom through technology. It was always a political thing.

Cider9986 2mo ago
You can hide a backup very well. Make a Proton account for drive over Tor and memorize the credentials. You can gain freedom though technology but if someone wants to torture you or a regime wants to put you in prison they can always do that. You could also gain freedom by being anonymous preventing getting caught, though technology.