Your Phone at the Border: Rights, Risks, and Essential Tips!

When you cross a border, do your digital rights come with you? 🇨🇦➡️🇺🇸 In this eye-opening episode of the Learn Online Security Podcast, host Tamara Michèle is joined by IT expert and founding member Chris Howells to unpack the reality of border security and personal privacy when travelling internationally—especially for Canadians heading to the U.S.

👉 Tag someone who needs to know this before they travel!

💡 Can border agents search your phone?
🔐 Are you legally required to unlock apps?
📱 What happens if you refuse?
🧳 Should you travel with a burner phone or encrypted storage?
☁️ Is cloud storage really safer?

This episode dives into the Canadian government travel advisory and explains how laws change the moment you leave your home country. Whether you're a digital minimalist or a tech-heavy traveller, this is a must-watch conversation about privacy, legality, and personal choice in the age of border surveillance. Featuring real insights from a 2021 Homeland Security presentation for IT professionals.

Has this ever happened to you at a border crossing? Share your story!

The federal government has updated its online travel advice in 2025 to remind Canadians to 'expect scrutiny' from border patrol officers if they travel to the United States.

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Website: https://www.learnonlinesecurity.com

*⌚Time Stamps⌚*
00:00:00 Travel Privacy: You Have Zero Rights as a Guest
00:00:32 Intro: Tamara & Chris Discuss Border Security
00:01:02 Canadian Warning: Phones Can Be Searched
00:02:00 You’re a Guest—Not a Citizen Abroad
00:03:19 Ignorance of Law Isn’t an Excuse
00:04:01 Offended or Not: Laws Still Apply
00:04:46 Phones Hold Your Whole Life—Expect Inspection
00:05:30 Two Options: Hand Over Phone or Go Home
00:07:02 Refusing Phone Access: Consequences & Myths
00:08:10 Homeland Security’s Line: What You Must Unlock

Independent Fact Check:
Canada warns travelers of US border agents’ authority to search electronic devices
https://www.cnn.com/2025/04/05/world/canada-travel-advisory-us-electronic-devices-intl-latam/index.html

Border fears lead Canadian firms to advise burner phones, clean computers, travel bans
https://financialpost.com/news/border-fears-canadian-firms-burner-phones-travel-bans