Key points
- Canada issues travel advisory after Trump’s move to tighten border and immigration policy
- Advisory urges Canadian citizens to “expect scrutiny”
- Civil liberties groups have long criticised the practice as invasive
OTTAWA: The government of Canada has issued a warning for citizens visiting the United States that US border officials have the authority to search visitors’ electronic devices – including laptops, phones, and tablets – without providing a reason, US media reported.
Bloomberg reported that the Canadian government issued a new warning for travellers entering the US, adding they should “expect scrutiny” at the border and that their phones and other electronic devices may be searched.
Trump’s move
It reported that the updated travel advisory follows US President Donald Trump’s move to tighten border and immigration policy, which had already prompted similar travel advisories from nations including the United Kingdom, France, and Germany.
CNN reported that in a revised travel advisory posted online, it urges Canadian citizens to “expect scrutiny” when crossing the border and warns that refusing to comply involves risks including device seizure, travel delays, or the denial of entry for non-US nationals.
The advisory also recommends placing devices in airplane mode before crossing to prevent unintended downloads of remote files, which could complicate screenings.
While US authorities maintain that device searches are critical for national security, civil liberties groups have long criticized the practice as invasive, according to CNN.
The US Supreme Court has upheld the authority of border agents to conduct warrantless device searches, citing the “border search exception” to the Fourth Amendment, US media reported.
