Customs officials have copied Americans’ phone data at massi

[pixy0stix]

Customs officials have copied Americans’ phone data at massive scale - wapo.st/3LiYYLQ  (gift link)

[mrsukyankee]

Those of us living across the pond were warned about the possibility of getting our phone's data looked at, so I've always had it off (fully) when going through customs. If they are going to do this to me, they are going to have to ask me to turn on my phone.

[bears]

I knew nothing of this policy. I found this part really chilling:

"The CBP directive gives officers the authority to look and scroll through any traveler’s device using what’s known as a “basic search,” and any traveler who refuses to unlock their phone for this process can have it confiscated for up to five days.

In a 2018 filing, a CBP official said an officer could access any device, including in cases where they have no suspicion the traveler has done anything wrong, and look at anything that “would ordinarily be visible by scrolling through the phone manually,” including contact lists, calendar entries, messages, photos and videos."

As someone who travels internationally for work, I see the existence of a database as a huge hacking risk with lots of potential for corporate espionage.

[heat40]

Sept 15, 2022 14:50:05 GMT -5 bears said:

I knew nothing of this policy. I found this part really chilling:

"The CBP directive gives officers the authority to look and scroll through any traveler’s device using what’s known as a “basic search,” and any traveler who refuses to unlock their phone for this process can have it confiscated for up to five days.

In a 2018 filing, a CBP official said an officer could access any device, including in cases where they have no suspicion the traveler has done anything wrong, and look at anything that “would ordinarily be visible by scrolling through the phone manually,” including contact lists, calendar entries, messages, photos and videos."

As someone who travels internationally for work, I see the existence of a database as a huge hacking risk with lots of potential for corporate espionage.

Yup. I’m not sure employers, who give their employees work devices, would be happy with this.

[mysteriouswife]

Sept 15, 2022 15:36:40 GMT -5 heat40 said:

Sept 15, 2022 14:50:05 GMT -5 bears said:

I knew nothing of this policy. I found this part really chilling:

"The CBP directive gives officers the authority to look and scroll through any traveler’s device using what’s known as a “basic search,” and any traveler who refuses to unlock their phone for this process can have it confiscated for up to five days.

In a 2018 filing, a CBP official said an officer could access any device, including in cases where they have no suspicion the traveler has done anything wrong, and look at anything that “would ordinarily be visible by scrolling through the phone manually,” including contact lists, calendar entries, messages, photos and videos."

As someone who travels internationally for work, I see the existence of a database as a huge hacking risk with lots of potential for corporate espionage.

Yup. I’m not sure employers, who give their employees work devices, would be happy with this.

I think H would refuse just to have his work phone confiscated 😂

[StrawberryBlondie]

Sept 15, 2022 15:36:40 GMT -5 heat40 said:

Sept 15, 2022 14:50:05 GMT -5 bears said:

I knew nothing of this policy. I found this part really chilling:

"The CBP directive gives officers the authority to look and scroll through any traveler’s device using what’s known as a “basic search,” and any traveler who refuses to unlock their phone for this process can have it confiscated for up to five days.

In a 2018 filing, a CBP official said an officer could access any device, including in cases where they have no suspicion the traveler has done anything wrong, and look at anything that “would ordinarily be visible by scrolling through the phone manually,” including contact lists, calendar entries, messages, photos and videos."

As someone who travels internationally for work, I see the existence of a database as a huge hacking risk with lots of potential for corporate espionage.

Yup. I’m not sure employers, who give their employees work devices, would be happy with this.

I'm pretty sure this would go expressly violate our explicit company policy re: work devices.

[bimbi284]

Sheesh.
Would this be in violation of HIPAA for those of us who are health providers and have work phones/devices we travel with for work purposes?
ETA: I guess all of the relevant apps and data are separately password and at least 2-factor protected so that would be beyond the “basic scroll” of this, right?