Once considered the land of free movement and welcoming tourism, the United States is now prompting an unusual kind of travel advisory. Countries including France, Denmark, Germany, Ireland, and Canada are now urging their citizens to take unprecedented precautions such as using burner phones when visiting the U.S.
This shift comes amid a growing number of reports of travellers, even with valid visas, being detained, interrogated, or denied entry without clear justification. Germany’s Foreign Office, for instance, has documented multiple cases of citizens being held and placed on return flights without explanation.
What’s raising eyebrows is not just the detention itself, but the depth of digital scrutiny. U.S. border agents have broad authority to search personal devices, access contacts, download files, and probe into travellers’ online lives. In some cases, questions have extended to political beliefs and social media affiliations. This level of surveillance, typically associated with authoritarian regimes, is leading democratic nations to reconsider the digital safety of their citizens abroad.
In response, officials are urging travellers to wipe personal data from devices before travel, use encrypted cloud storage instead of saving files locally, and avoid logging into personal email or social media accounts while in the U.S. Other recommendations include backing up data before departure, browsing in incognito mode, and ensuring full compliance with visa regulations.
For some, especially journalists, activists, and LGBTQ+ individuals, the risks are amplified. Recent rollbacks on transgender passport policies in the U.S. have raised fears of discrimination at the border for those whose gender identity does not align with official documents.
Even the European Commission has reportedly begun issuing burner phones and anti-espionage sleeves to its officials travelling to the U.S. steps typically reserved for high-risk destinations like China.
At the heart of the concern is a sobering message: data privacy at U.S. borders is no longer assured. With the increasing militarization of immigration procedures and the erosion of digital privacy protections, travellers are being ur
