EFF Border Search Pocket Guide

gardnr · 2025-03-22T00:11:13 1742602273

Back in 2009, Bruce Schnier described a process to cross borders: https://www.schneier.com/blog/archives/2009/07/laptop_securi...

walterbell · 2025-03-22T00:18:02 1742602682

Some comments on that 2009 article.

  [1] Step 6 will probably never happen if you show a border guard or customs official an article about encryption. You will not get safely through customs, you’ll end up on a secret list and get hassled every single time you travel for the rest of your life. As the database you’re in ages (and people begin to forget how it was created), you might be simply barred entry into places you want to go.

  [2] This kind of elaborate setup will make you loose your computer at the customs. They will ask you to boot it up… when you’ll not be able to do that, they’ll will not listen to your story and will just keep the computer.

  [3] The solution you propose will just make you look like a dangerous bad guy to the border guards. They want to inspect your laptop, and you propose to tell them that you’re resorting to extreme measures to foil them. Very bad move.

readthenotes1 · 2025-03-22T00:05:19 1742601919

No one in, or on the border of, the United States should use a biometric lock.

The police can apparently force you to unlock

E.g., https://proceedings.nyumootcourt.org/2023/11/press-to-unlock...

throwaway8iep · 2025-03-22T00:13:32 1742602412

Even US citizens have basically no rights at a border. You can be subjected to any search without warrants. And this applies to within 100 miles of a coast or border, which is pretty much every major city.

The real way to minimize risk is to not carry any sensitive data, as in the first item on that pamphlet, and restore from a backup once you get past the screening. This is a little difficult with mobile phones, however.

giantfrog · 2025-03-22T00:14:12 1742602452

Fun tip: If you have an iPhone, rapidly pressing the power button five times will force your phone to require a password before Face ID will work again. Turning your device off entirely will also necessitate password reentry.

IncreasePosts · 2025-03-22T00:16:10 1742602570

Doesn't help if you're snagged and handcuffed before you can get to the power button!

giantfrog · 2025-03-22T00:16:59 1742602619

Right, I'd recommend anyone worried about this to power off their laptop (assuming you've got full disk encryption turned on) and phone before going through security, customs, etc.

jsheard · 2025-03-22T00:13:18 1742602398

Disabling biometrics the whole time you're in the US is a bit extreme unless you have a target on your back, but most phones have a way to quickly disable biometrics until you next unlock with your PIN. At least learn how to do that just in case the shit unexpectedly hits the fan, on iPhones you press the power button 5 times in a row.

readthenotes1 · 2025-03-22T00:27:11 1742603231

"unless you have a target on your back"

If you are in, or on the border of, the United States, it's reasonable to assume you have a target on your back.

Otherwise the courts would not have made such ridiculous rulings.

jjulius · 2025-03-22T00:16:54 1742602614

>Disabling biometrics the whole time you're in the US is a bit extreme...

How on Earth, in any situation, for any reason, can inputting a PIN instead of using your fingerprint be considered... "extreme"?

giantfrog · 2025-03-22T00:18:05 1742602685

I'd argue it's not extreme enough: Use an alphanumeric password or passphrase, as long as you can tolerate, instead of a PIN.

userbinator · 2025-03-22T00:22:34 1742602954

It must be said that having this document in your possession when crossing the border may itself lead to suspicion.

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