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

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