Thinking of travelling to the US? International SOS suggests you may want to check what’s on your phones and laptops before you take off, with searches of arriving passengers’ devices for dubious content or even unwelcome political comments on the increase.
Multiple countries – including Canada, the UK, and several in Europe – have issued or updated travel advisories for the United States, according to International SOS, one of the world’s leading medical and security risk management companies.
And they are saying that Australians should also be alert to the growing risks too.
Heightened scrutiny at U.S. borders, strict enforcement of immigration rules, and complications around gender declarations on travel documents could lead to delays, detentions, or denied entry, even for those with legitimate travel plans.
In a nutshell, you don’t have to show immigration or border control your emails or social media content if you don’t want to, but then they don’t have to let you in.
“We have seen a growing number of requests for support and general queries recently regarding adverse experiences at U.S. borders, particularly in relation to increased scrutiny by immigration and customs officials,” says James Robertson, International SOS’s Global Head of Security
“Since the implementation of the ‘maximum vetting’ policy by the Trump administration, U.S. border agents have enforced stricter controls, which has included the potential search of phones and personal electronic devices upon entry.
“There have been recent incidents involving international students and academics who were detained, and had their visas revoked – often in connection to alleged support for groups designated as terrorist organisations by the U.S. or participation in activism deemed adversarial to the U.S.”
The Australian government’s Smartraveller website has not changed its advice for Aussies travelling to the USA, recommending only that you “exercise normal safety precautions.” However, you can get updates on travel alerts on this webpage.
Meanwhile, pre-flight would be a good time to delete anything naughty from your socials. And it’s also worth reading this follow-up in the Guardian and this very scary article.
