Ask HN: Travelling to the US. What can I expect at border security?
I am travelling to the US from Australia next month on a solo holiday (not business) trip. Though travelling on an Australian passport, I am of sub-continental heritage, and was born in a Muslim country. I am also highly active on multiple social media channels.
My question is: Does US border security still ask for sign on information to social media? If they do, what is the best/legal response to that? I have nothing to hide, but want my privacy respected, and don't want to divulge my FB/Twitter etc. password as I use those apps to authenticate to _other_ services which I use for running my business, so there is a risk of business IP being exposed if someone else has those logins.
17 comments
[ 3.1 ms ] story [ 45.4 ms ] threadThey don’t let you board the plane if they actually don’t want you there.
Doesn’t mean you won’t get some questions. But it also depends which airport you arrive at (SFO CBP are nice, LAX and JFK are... not).
You have no rights as an “alien” at the US border. Either you unlock or you go back home.
I had bad experience exiting the US in LAX and JFK: Getting there takes a lot of time, and clearing security needs a lot of time, and the airports are quite big.
Try to arrive early. Sleeping near the airport helps ;-).
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-02-25/mem-fox-detained-at-lo...
So I think be prepared for that possibility.
Kind of bizarre though how Mem and the writer seem to inhabit a world in which Australia doesn't have dreadful offshore detention centres for would-be-immigrants.
It wasn't just me - most people I have spoken with have had bad experiences traveling to USA - I personally will never go there again.
A friend (British) recently travelled there and had a hell of a time with them - his wife is Iranian although she now has a British Passport. The line of questioning around the wife's origins showed breathtaking ignorance of anything at all to do with the situation in the Middle East.
To use an American turn of phrase: total bunch of asshats.
I recall only two instances of being asked more than 2 questions:
1. Once when I had two trips to the US with a very short gap (a business trip to my employer's head office, followed a week later by a job interview for a non-US job at a US-owned company, at their HQ in a different US city).
2. Once (~10 years ago) when I travelled to the US on a whim to visit a friend, and didn't answer clearly a question about who I planned to see when I was in the US (because I hadn't yet called to arrange to meet all the friends I wanted to see).
In both cases the CBP officers asked reasonable questions, and were polite enough. It's probably useful for them to act in a way that makes people a little nervous, though.
I had my "interview" before I even left EU because it was suspicious to them that I am traveling cross-atlantic with only hand-luggage.
When I arrived it was pretty OK, they asked where I will be staying and other general stupid questions you'd expect. All in all it was decent and nothing out of ordinary, definitely didn't ask me to unlock my phone/computer.
I will never forget the last sentences with the border agency.
> Patrol: So how much are you making?
> Me: I'm making this and that EUR a month.
> Patrol: So you must have decent amount of money.
> Me: Yes.
> Patrol: Welcome to United States. stamps my passport
If asked for credentials, log in as requested, and after you clear security, 1: change the passwordws and 2: force log out other sessions.
I wouldn't mention anything about that accounts are used for logging in somewhere because that will flag you as someone weird/nonstandard and might lead you to some questioning. It they ask you stuff and you get nervous, you will be looked more. So, just do what you're asked and everything will be fine.
BTW: your worst enemy crossing borders is Jet Lag. Since you're traveling from west to the east I guess this won't be an issue to you; but get some rest before boarding the plane and if you do not understand/hear well something tell the officer politely.
https://github.com/basecamp/handbook/blob/master/internation...
This doesn't cover social media accounts though. I'd suggest letting them log in and change passwords and log out all sessions immediately afterwards. You could also temporarily revoke permissions for any 3rd party app and grant those again once you've cleared border security.