Entry: Denied
A growing number of news reports indicate that travelers heading to the US are facing scrutiny at the border, with some subjected to electronic-device searches. US Customs and Border Protection states that such searches aim to identify violations—say, drug trafficking or terrorist activities—and that just 0.01 percent of international travelers will be subjected to them. Still, the new administration has reportedly encouraged officers to “not leave any stone unturned,” as per one immigration lawyer. This has increased anxiety among travelers to the US, particularly visa holders, who have fewer privacy protections at the border. While journalists may carry sensitive information, such as contact information for and communications with protected sources, there are no specific laws preventing border officers from digging through such information during searches. Civil liberties organizations and security researchers, therefore, recommend that travelers familiarize themselves with their rights before traveling and have a plan in place should a border agent ask for their personal devices.
Related Knowledge Center: Digital privacy and data security
If you’re online, you’re generating a constant stream of information about yourself — sometimes voluntarily, sometimes unwittingly — that is assembled and used to craft your online experience. And generate wealth for data brokers. Meanwhile, designers and managers of the digital infrastructure on which the world depends are engaged in a never-ending effort to thwart attempts, by both criminal enterprises and state actors, to exploit vulnerabilities in those systems.
Signalgate | State surveillance
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News organizations are scrambling to find a coverage approach that adequately informs the American public about the country’s slide from democracy to authoritarian rule.
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The First Amendment is facing challenging times: Crackdowns on campus protests prompted both-sides claims of intolerance. Attempts to head off dangerous health misinformation have been characterized as violations of free speech. Donald Trump is publicly punishing news outlets that deviate from his administration’s version of events while privately suing some outlets into submission.
The White House vs. the press | Voiceless America