Subj : us border searches data
To   : AUGUST ABOLINS
From : Mike Powell
Date : Mon Aug 25 2025 10:10:50

>  MP> That has made me not want to travel into Canada during
>  MP> "current times," even though I am sure it was our
>  MP> government that started that mess.  ;( I could get a
>  MP> burner phone (since my carrier isn't guaranteed to work in
>  MP> Canada that'd make sense anyway), but I also usually carry
>  MP> a laptop with me so I can offload any digital photos I
>  MP> take.  I take a lot and the parts of Canada I have been in
>  MP> are beautiful so I guess I would need lots of extra cards
>  MP> to feed into the cameras.

> Yes.. apparently anyone returning to the States [even a US
> citizen] is subject to CBP inspections.

So it is returning to the US from Canada, but not entering Canada, that
could trigger these searches?  I knew about crossing into the USA being an
issue but I may have misread your post and thought that Canadian
authorities were also now doing similar searches of incoming tourists.

> Offloading phone images to the laptop won't help - your CBP
> would be inspecting laptops too.

That wasn't why I'd be offloading them.  I would be offloading them to free
up camera space for the next day of shooting.  ;)  Inspections would make
me less likely to carry any extra equipment (like a laptop) for this
purpose.

>  MP> Unfortunately, one of them takes a card type that is now obsolete!  :O

> I suppose if your pics are innoccuous things, then you have
> nothing to be concerned about. However, the searches through
> media devices does seem like overreach.

For me, they are usually going to be lighthouses, museums (esp. trains),
and waterfalls.  It does seem like overreach.  If what we are hearing is
true, they are looking for unflattering memes of Trump and Vance.  ;)

Mike


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