French scientist denied US entry after phone messages critical of Trump found
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The answer is to stop visiting the US.
Elbows up buddy!
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So, what if I as an american, travel to canada. On my re-entry, am i going to get my phone searched for anti-maga stuff?
They could try. They can compel you to open it with Face ID or fingerprint. If that’s turned off they cannot compel you to disclose your passcode. They can seize your phone. They cannot prevent you from entering the country.
They’re probably only going to do it with some kind of suspicion. But that suspicion could be the border protection officer is having a bad day.
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Okay so the "Don't travel to the US right now" aside, do people these days still not understand that border crossing are a sensitive location?
Like, literally, anywhere you go, the first thing you should do before leaving is encrypt and reinstall / factory reset (which should delete all encryption keys to the old data) the devices. And if you have very sensitive stuff, use a disk overwrite program, and for phones start recording a video with the phone aimed at like a wall (and turn off the audio recording). Leave it recording overnight and it should fill up your phone. Use 4K recording to fill the storage faster. Then just wipe the phone again. Now, DONT DOWNLOAD ANYTHING THAT COULD BE CONSIDERED SENSITIVE. Load the phone with innocuous things like pet photos, nature, etc... and act like a "normie". Don't have anything critical of any politician, especially not of the country you're visiting, nor of its allies. Its best to not have any social media apps, preferrably, you should never post things under your name, but if you already did have such accounts, delete them.
If they ask you "Do you have any social media accounts" you say "I don't recall having any" or "I don't think so" and "I'm not the type of person to use social media". Or alternatively, you can have a social media account that have only non-political posts, and show then that.
I think Europeans, coming from a sane place where border crossings are more of a formality than anything else, don't expect a plane to the US to be a time machine/teleporter to East Berlin.
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Usually I respect the honesty more than the subterfuge.
But when it's Nazi's. Nope. Wouldn't piss on them if they were on fire.
You respect the honesty because it reveals people's character. And if a person thinks that Taylor Swift is an awful singer, then cool, you can agree or disagree.
But when it's honesty about contempt for your fellow man? A punch in the face is the only thing that works.
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They could try. They can compel you to open it with Face ID or fingerprint. If that’s turned off they cannot compel you to disclose your passcode. They can seize your phone. They cannot prevent you from entering the country.
They’re probably only going to do it with some kind of suspicion. But that suspicion could be the border protection officer is having a bad day.
Thanks. It's fucking wild the things we have to be concerned about in this upside down timeline.
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Okay so the "Don't travel to the US right now" aside, do people these days still not understand that border crossing are a sensitive location?
Like, literally, anywhere you go, the first thing you should do before leaving is encrypt and reinstall / factory reset (which should delete all encryption keys to the old data) the devices. And if you have very sensitive stuff, use a disk overwrite program, and for phones start recording a video with the phone aimed at like a wall (and turn off the audio recording). Leave it recording overnight and it should fill up your phone. Use 4K recording to fill the storage faster. Then just wipe the phone again. Now, DONT DOWNLOAD ANYTHING THAT COULD BE CONSIDERED SENSITIVE. Load the phone with innocuous things like pet photos, nature, etc... and act like a "normie". Don't have anything critical of any politician, especially not of the country you're visiting, nor of its allies. Its best to not have any social media apps, preferrably, you should never post things under your name, but if you already did have such accounts, delete them.
If they ask you "Do you have any social media accounts" you say "I don't recall having any" or "I don't think so" and "I'm not the type of person to use social media". Or alternatively, you can have a social media account that have only non-political posts, and show then that.
This might be normal opsec for a foreign agent, but absolutely ridiculous to expect average people or some French doctor to adhere to.
The reality is this issue would never have happened just three months ago, and the reason it's happening now is fascism.
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Studies have consistwntly shown that the more education one gets, the more their political view skews left. It explains why colleges, staffed and managed by PhDs, tend to be left-wing. That's why the Conservative Propaganda Machine has to constantly attack education.
Dictators hate intellectuals.
I don't even have to name any specific one, its a trend across all dictatorships.
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So, what if I as an american, travel to canada. On my re-entry, am i going to get my phone searched for anti-maga stuff?
The US Government cannot deny US Citizens from entering the US* However, they can (and mostly likely will) seize all your belongings and detain you for up to 48(?) hours. So its best to wipe your devices before crossing the border (both ways).
*for now
But my real advice is: Unless you are intending to migrate permanently, do not cross the US borders (neither in nor out) under the current administration.
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They could try. They can compel you to open it with Face ID or fingerprint. If that’s turned off they cannot compel you to disclose your passcode. They can seize your phone. They cannot prevent you from entering the country.
They’re probably only going to do it with some kind of suspicion. But that suspicion could be the border protection officer is having a bad day.
They cannot prevent you from entering the country.
Only applies to US citizens. Any non-citizen, including Permanent Residents (aka: Green Card holders), could be denied entry.
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Thanks. It's fucking wild the things we have to be concerned about in this upside down timeline.
They could always do this before, it was jsut that previous administrations weren't this insane to actually do it.
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Yep, 12 years of Democrats in charge and none of them did anything to reign in this whole apparatus that could easily be abused by an autocrat. Now Trump has a turnkey surveillance state that can be turned on anyone in the country. All your internet traffic, current location, licence plate readers, face recognition, etc. It was all created to alternately catch terrorists or pedophiles, and now Trump is going to use it against anyone he doesn't like.
And it's not like nobody was warned, there was plenty of dissent about the patriot act from experts and the people, but politicians were just like 'don't worry, it'll only be used against terrorists'. Guess what, everyone's going to be a terrorist now.
Yep, 12 years of Democrats in charge and none of them did anything to reign in this whole apparatus
Its hard to actually repeal it. Any politician, republican, democrat, independent, whatever, who does so, and then a terrorist attack happens, they take the blame. That's why nobody tries. Its not an excuse tho, its just an explanation.
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France’s research minister said a French scientist was denied entry to the US this month after immigration officers at an airport searched his phone and found messages in which he had expressed criticism of the Trump administration.
Lesson: prepare for a trip to the US like you'd prepare for a trip to Russia or China.
Don't bring your real computing device. Being an empty device from which you can VPN to a system that actually has your data.
If you need to bring an encrypted device, consider the possibility that authorities will attempt to coerce you into unlocking it (and will cause you great disruption and indignity if you won't). If the data matters, make sure you cannot unlock your device under coercion.
(Trivial method: send your friend in the US a snailmail letter. Ask them to keep the letter until your arrival. Into the letter, steganographically embed the OTP key material to obtain the passtphrase to decrypt your device. Now to decrypt the device, three things will be needed: your cooperation, the device, and the letter. And you can deny that the letter contains anything.)
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Once the funding dries up the talent will be forced to leave. The question is, is Europe prepared to take advantage? I'm not so sure- the worst outcome would be talent just being squandered and the world ending up with a lost decade.
talent just being squandered and the world ending up with a lost decade.
Still better than the US having the next Oppenheimer
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How’d they get into his phone? Face or fingerprint?
Make sure you turn off biometrics before traveling. They can’t force you to disclose a passcode.
Years ago they would already ask for social media accounts and email address on US visa forms, it was creepy back them , scary now.
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The US has turned in Russia for real. Russians were checking phones at the border when the war started.
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Wow, ok. You, guys (Americans), are royally fucked over there. Yet another reason not to visit the US ever.
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France’s research minister said a French scientist was denied entry to the US this month after immigration officers at an airport searched his phone and found messages in which he had expressed criticism of the Trump administration.
Freedom of speech, eh? Guess I'm banned if they find out about this account or my Bluesky account.
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The answer is to stop visiting the US.
I mean, there could be situations where one doesn't have a choice. Definitely try and avoid it, though, and don't go for fun.
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Lesson: prepare for a trip to the US like you'd prepare for a trip to Russia or China.
Don't bring your real computing device. Being an empty device from which you can VPN to a system that actually has your data.
If you need to bring an encrypted device, consider the possibility that authorities will attempt to coerce you into unlocking it (and will cause you great disruption and indignity if you won't). If the data matters, make sure you cannot unlock your device under coercion.
(Trivial method: send your friend in the US a snailmail letter. Ask them to keep the letter until your arrival. Into the letter, steganographically embed the OTP key material to obtain the passtphrase to decrypt your device. Now to decrypt the device, three things will be needed: your cooperation, the device, and the letter. And you can deny that the letter contains anything.)
I'm not quite sure I'd call that trivial, haha.
There's also the option of making a hidden partition or otherwise doing stenography within the device. I'm guessing for most travelers just pretty surface level hiding of things will be enough, though. TSA agents are not cybersecurity experts.
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Lesson: prepare for a trip to the US like you'd prepare for a trip to Russia or China.
Don't bring your real computing device. Being an empty device from which you can VPN to a system that actually has your data.
If you need to bring an encrypted device, consider the possibility that authorities will attempt to coerce you into unlocking it (and will cause you great disruption and indignity if you won't). If the data matters, make sure you cannot unlock your device under coercion.
(Trivial method: send your friend in the US a snailmail letter. Ask them to keep the letter until your arrival. Into the letter, steganographically embed the OTP key material to obtain the passtphrase to decrypt your device. Now to decrypt the device, three things will be needed: your cooperation, the device, and the letter. And you can deny that the letter contains anything.)
My entry to China was really easy. I'm very concerned about my return trip to the US. I have to come back at my home and family are there.. doors anyone know if I'm denied entity if I can just book and flight and leave? Why do I need to have the government deport off in rolling to go on my own?
