When travelers arrive in the United States, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers have the authority to demand access to personal phones without a warrant or probable cause. Between April and June 2025, CBP conducted 14,899 of these warrantless searches—a record high. While officials insist that less than 0.01% of travelers are affected, for those singled out, it means agents can comb through texts, photos, financial apps, and private messages under the banner of national security.

Critics argue this practice represents a dangerous expansion of surveillance at the border, where legal safeguards are weaker and oversight is minimal. No suspicion is required; simply being present at a port of entry is enough to justify a search. For many, this creates the chilling sense that privacy ends the moment you land. What’s promoted as protection increasingly looks like an erosion of rights, where compliance with digital intrusion becomes the unspoken price of international travel.

Stay Awake. Keep Watch.

SOURCE: Reclaim the Net