Worried About Phone Searches? 1Password's Travel Mode Can Clean Up Your Data

"Searches at the US border are at an all-time high. Between April and June of this year, US Customs and Border Protection says it searched nearly 15,000 devices, outpacing the previous quarterly record by over 2,000. Combined with visitors allegedly being turned away for content on their devices and hours-long detentions at ports of entry, it's reasonable to be a little worried about entering the US."

"Although it can't remove everything, Travel Mode can erase a lot. The way it works is simple: You organize your logins, notes, attachments, and other sensitive information into a series of vaults. From there, you can choose which vaults are safe for travel and which aren't. When you turn on Travel Mode, your selected vaults aren't only hidden; 1Password claims they're entirely removed from your device."

"The legality and scope of device searches at the border are complex. Broadly speaking, CBP can't deny entry to US citizens or green card holders if they don't comply with a device search. But they can make your life really difficult, with longer detentions and device seizures. "You can state that you don't consent to such a search, but unfortunately, this likely won't prevent Customs and Border Protection from taking your phone," according to the Texas chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union."

Border device searches have risen sharply, with nearly 15,000 devices searched between April and June, surpassing previous records and causing longer detentions and alleged refusals. Many travelers still need to carry sensitive information on phones or laptops while crossing borders. 1Password's Travel Mode organizes logins, notes, attachments, and other sensitive items into vaults and allows users to mark vaults as safe for travel or nontravel. When Travel Mode is enabled, chosen vaults are hidden and claimed to be removed from the device, although the feature cannot remove every piece of data. Border search legality is complex and can result in detentions or seizures.

Read at WIRED