How to protect your private data when you travel to the United States

On January 30 – three days after US President Donald Trump signed an executive order restricting immigration from several predominantly Muslim countries – an American scientist employed by NASA was detained at the US border until he relinquished his phone and PIN to border agents. Travellers are also reporting border agents reviewing their Facebook feeds, while the Department of Homeland Security considers requiring social media passwords as a condition of entry.

Intimidating travellers into revealing passwords is a much greater invasion of privacy than inspecting their belongings for contraband.

Technology