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Warning to travelers

Buying a burner is not enough. It's the oauth ID chains and similar connections which gives the arc in.

Heck, just connecting a phone to a rental via USB is enough to grant access via most software agreements with that stuff.
 
nstassel said:
No consent asked for or given. I'm not sure about passwords though.
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IIRC some company in Israel developed a method to break into any phone and they sell that to US gov't agencies.
MAJoe said:
Consent not needed
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Parker Schreiber said:
Read it and weep:

Last February, the 1st Circuit upheld the practice, holding that CBP does not need consent, probable cause or even reasonable suspicion to search your phone, tablet or laptop and record unencrypted data. The Supreme Court denied cert.

Don't want to unlock your phone. That's cool, you don't have to. But the CBP can "detain" your phone while they hack it. If they hold it for more than 5 days, they need approval from a manager, and for more than 15 days requires approval at the director level. But they are allowed an indefinite number of extensions, so you may not see your device for a year or so. And if you're not a US citizen, they can refuse entry.
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appraiser said:
In past cases Apple refused to cooperate with the government but the last I heard there was a entity in Israel that was able to easily bypass the Apple encryption and get into the phones for the United States government
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Yes and this was alluded to during my recent citizen's police academy.
 
fshalor said:
Buying a burner is not enough. It's the oauth ID chains and similar connections which gives the arc in.

Heck, just connecting a phone to a rental via USB is enough to grant access via most software agreements with that stuff.
Click to expand...

They’re not getting into your phone that’s sitting at home, from your burner, even if you’re using the same SIM and Apple ID. Just don’t save stuff to the apple cloud or whatever it’s called. We’re not talking about special agents seizing all your stuff in a raid. We’re talking about a DHS agent looking through the phone that’s in your possession.
 
nstassel said:
Twice in the past few months I've become involved in cases that have a very ominous implication. I'm actually shocked.

In both of these cases US citizens returned to the country from overseas travel and were detained by DHS. Their phones were seized and searched. In both cases "extremist" content was allegedly detected and state and federal investigations commenced.

The DHS has incredible authority over persons entering the US. I'm sure both of these people were on the fed radar and they were waiting for them to come back so it's not random. But it really makes you realize the electronic web we're living under.
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Were they going out to study some religion or were they just out seeing something that wasn't deserty and got scooped up
 
nstassel said:
Twice in the past few months I've become involved in cases that have a very ominous implication. I'm actually shocked.

In both of these cases US citizens returned to the country from overseas travel and were detained by DHS. Their phones were seized and searched. In both cases "extremist" content was allegedly detected and state and federal investigations commenced.

The DHS has incredible authority over persons entering the US. I'm sure both of these people were on the fed radar and they were waiting for them to come back so it's not random. But it really makes you realize the electronic web we're living under.
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@nstassel

Where were they coming from? Is that a factor?

I can imagine if I came from a few sandbox countries vs Belize or Montreal etc.
 
G4Y4HK said:
What if you're using an Android. Samsung S22? Are Android users as good as naked if you get pinched?
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For newer releases of Android 11+, lockdown mode is enabled by default.
M1911 said:
I don’t know. I don’t have an Android phone.
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On older Android phones, you can enable "lockdown on lock screen" option, then you'd hold power button for 2 seconds, select "Lockdown".

Or just power off when you board the plane; all modern smartphones and tablets will require PIN/password after a hard reboot.
 
So, that makes me wonder. When I flew to and from Iceland, I got “randomly selected” both times for enhanced security measures. Made me pull out all the electronics from my carry on, swabbed everything, swabbed my hands, asked me a bunch of extra questions.

And both times I had cards in my checked bag that stated they searched it.

This has happened to me every time I’ve flown in the last few years domestically as well.
 
Bodhisattva said:
So, that makes me wonder. When I flew to and from Iceland, I got “randomly selected” both times for enhanced security measures. Made me pull out all the electronics from my carry on, swabbed everything, swabbed my hands, asked me a bunch of extra questions.

And both times I had cards in my checked bag that stated they searched it.

This has happened to me every time I’ve flown in the last few years domestically as well.
Click to expand...
You are someone’s list. That’s not typical.
 
Hogie1 said:
Cops should not be doing that, they need a warrant. They can secure it inside of a Farraday bag, but no searchy searchy. The feds might have the ability to access Apple encryption, albeit probably illegally, but I doubt local LE has that capability unless they employ some high level computer geeks.
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At a point of entry into the US they don't need a warrant to search anything......even your phone. That's actually the point of the original post......they were waiting for one of them to go through a point of entry because they don't need a warrant to search.

What is ironic is the right leaning Americans that put the CBP agenst on a f***ing pedestal for being "on the front lines against illegal immigration" don't even realize that these "agents" have unbelievable power to basically do whatever they want within 100 miles of the border or at airports receiving international travelers........US citizen basically has no 4th amendment rights when they fly home from vacation and do you think these agents don't abuse their authority? Yeah.....they do.
 
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Bodhisattva said:
So, that makes me wonder. When I flew to and from Iceland, I got “randomly selected” both times for enhanced security measures. Made me pull out all the electronics from my carry on, swabbed everything, swabbed my hands, asked me a bunch of extra questions.

And both times I had cards in my checked bag that stated they searched it.

This has happened to me every time I’ve flown in the last few years domestically as well.
Click to expand...
It's because you are a GREEN member on NES. It's open season on us...might be true, might not be... [rockon]
 
FrugalFannie said:
yeah, I posted it. It's called Pegasus I think. FBI has it and uses it.
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Yes, and Pegasus is the old spyware that has to be installed on your phone by you opening a message or clicking a link. The successor to that software doesn’t require that it be installed on your phone at all. I have to imagine that anything we know about is the old tech that is obsolete.
 
Dennis in MA said:
Hold up. One cryptic post a day ago with no details at all. . . and NES goes into full panic mode. How many of you are in the bunkers??? Beef jerky or rice?
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Well Neil is a well known respected firearms attorney so I tend to believe things he posts over some other members with the doom and gloom porn threads
 
I haven't met most here, and I don't know you beyond screen names, so this is just an assumption.

I find it comical that everyone here, myself included, are worried about being searched and placed on a list. Our extremist content consists of NES and Pornhub. We're probably the most law abiding citizens out there. Nevertheless, we don't trust the Gov, we take full advantage of our rights, and exercise our rights to silence even though we really have nothing to hide and we just make things difficult on ourselves.
Meanwhile, I know several cops who tell of actual criminals granting permission to search cars, keeping their registration in their glovebox with drugs, answering questions honestly about criminal activity, etc.


Wife wants to drive to Canada - I'm thinking we're just gonna use the kids' phones LOL.
 
Bodhisattva said:
So, that makes me wonder. When I flew to and from Iceland, I got “randomly selected” both times for enhanced security measures. Made me pull out all the electronics from my carry on, swabbed everything, swabbed my hands, asked me a bunch of extra questions.

And both times I had cards in my checked bag that stated they searched it.

This has happened to me every time I’ve flown in the last few years domestically as well.
Click to expand...
From the time I was 22 until about 30 I too was almost always “randomly” selected, searched, detained, questioned, and then released on every flight I went on when I would arrive at a destination and when I arrived home. Around the time I got married it seemed to stop.

Last year I was watching “to catch a smuggler” on tv with the wife and it all made sense…

The girlfriend I had in my early 20s was an English girl living in America who was arrested in her late teens before we dated for selling $40 of weed to an undercover cop. Weed was illegal back then, and turns out if you’re an immigrant and you sell any amount of an illegal drug, when you apply for visa/greencard, what immigration sees on their computer is “DRUG SMUGGLING.”
So needless to say she moved back to England before her visa was up and was never allowed back in US, even after having charges dropped. I visited her in England several times and that’s when I started always getting searched.

Watching that tv show and it all made sense, the customs agent would say something like “ there’s a person coming off this flight who dated a known smuggler, so they’re a person of interest and we’re going to search them.” I turned to the wife and said holy shit that’s why I always got searched before we got married.

So if I had to guess you’re on some list because you have some association to someone who did something illegal that customs would be interested in. Like me haha
 
TJ4 said:
Yes, and Pegasus is the old spyware that has to be installed on your phone by you opening a message or clicking a link. The successor to that software doesn’t require that it be installed on your phone at all. I have to imagine that anything we know about is the old tech that is obsolete.
Click to expand...
That was my first thought - Pegasus was old in 2020.

At some point, we need to realize that if you're doing things they want to catch you for, they're going to. If you're not, then core security behaviors are enough - like using passwords, not your face, to unlock your phone.
 
PappyM3 said:
Pro-tip: buy a cheap burner-like phone for international travel. Add only the bare minimum apps for efficient foreign travel and emergency contacts.

But I have recommended that in the past to people in my industries because of espionage and/or seizure abroad. I never thought it would be needed for entrance back into the states.

Disturbing

I realize the legal system is slow, but it would be greatly appreciated if you could provide further details when/if it becomes possible to do so.
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the ONLY issue is you need texts and emails from places like your credit card companies, who will be checking to see if the foreign charges are legit. if you do not respond, they may put a hold or even cancel your credit card in mid-vacation.
 
I have a double thick case on my phone, the extra space in back is filled with tannerite. My plan is to drop it on the floor and shoot it in front of the cops. Problem solved. You're welcome.
 
Spanz said:
the ONLY issue is you need texts and emails from places like your credit card companies, who will be checking to see if the foreign charges are legit. if you do not respond, they may put a hold or even cancel your credit card in mid-vacation.
Click to expand...
I hear you can call your banks before you travel to tell them where you're going.

Also, you can use a burner with your normal SIM chip in it. Activate it as your phone, but don't do anything untoward on that phone. Then swap the SIM back to your main phone when you get home.
 
Bodhisattva said:
So, that makes me wonder. When I flew to and from Iceland, I got “randomly selected” both times for enhanced security measures. Made me pull out all the electronics from my carry on, swabbed everything, swabbed my hands, asked me a bunch of extra questions.

And both times I had cards in my checked bag that stated they searched it.

This has happened to me every time I’ve flown in the last few years domestically as well.
Click to expand...
Go down to your Town Hall and switch your Voter Registration to "Democrat." All your issues will resolve. 🤔
 
G4Y4HK said:
Don't cops sometimes even press your finger on your phone to unlock it or use face unlock? Pretty important to not use face unlock or register fingerprints on your phone and have it auto wipe after ten unsuccessful password tries. Then again, doesn't American 3 letter agencies and even local police have access to hardware that gets into your phone easily ASAP anyway?
Click to expand...
Courts have ruled that your fingerprints are left everywhere and therefore you can be forced to unlock your phone that way.

Never use firgerprint locks or face recognition for the same reason.
 

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