Protecting Your Phone—and Your #Privacy —at the US #Border
In this episode of Uncanny Valley, our hosts explain how to prepare for travel to and from the United States—and how to stay safe.
https://www.wired.com/story/uncanny-valley-podcast-phone-privacy-us-border-travel/
“You have to ‘seed’ the device. Use the phone for a day or even for a few hours. It just can't be clean clean. That’s weird,” ... “My recommendation is to make a finsta for travel, because if they ask you what your profile is, how are you gonna say ‘I don't use any social media’? Many people have a few accounts anyway. One ratchet, one wholesome—add one travel.”
https://www.wired.com/story/how-to-protect-yourself-from-phone-searches-at-the-us-border/
Two US Army APC's leaving the Ajo border patrol station headed south this morning. First I've seen of the military here near the border. These appeared to be Stryker M1127 Reconnaissance Vehicles based on my best Wikipedia guess.
I regretfully have to head north for a few months this morning or I would have followed them down and gotten some shots of them driving around doing nothing along the border wall.
Because there's literally nothing to do there. This is all a silly photo op and part of the larger performance of border theater. I even feel a little bad posting photos here because, in my own insignificant way, it plays to the narrative. I mean, if the army is there with all this hardware, then there must be a problem, right?
I hope these guys don't get too bored and start driving these things across the desert smashing over saguaro cactus the way the national guard did when they were here back around 2008.
New from Francesca D'Annunzio: To augment its roughly 6,000 #ICE deportation agents, the #Trump administration has enlisted the help of other federal agencies including the DEA and IRS. But an even more significant expansion may be playing out at county and municipal levels. https://www.texasobserver.org/texas-police-287g-ice-army/
What is the easiest way to escape into #Canada from the #United States? Let’s say it all goes “south” in the US, and I’ve got to get out. Obviously, anything involving ICE is out. I’m #immigrating illegally.
Where should I cross the #border? What isn’t watched? The Montana Border is really long and remote. Some of that has to be unwatched. There isn’t a fence is there? I just get close and make a run for it if I see trouble. How do I get close?
Just trying to plan ahead.
“All around them people are crying, fainting, & having panic attacks due to the stress,” Welch said. She’s interviewed hundreds of #kids who’ve been detained after crossing the #border. In #Texas, though, she had an unusual experience—some of the #children she met weren’t recent #immigrants. They had been in the country for years.
[This time around, #Trump isn’t just separating & jailing #immigrants, he’s separating & jailing families who are long time residents.]
THE #IMMIGRANT FAMILIES JAILED IN #TEXAS
#Children have long been put in migrant #detention if they were apprehended at the #border. Today, lawyers have found, #families are being removed from stable lives in the #UnitedStates.
#immigration #law #TheCrueltyIsThePoint #EthnicCleansing
https://www.newyorker.com/news/the-lede/the-immigrant-families-jailed-in-texas
Class on 1 May 2025
Travel Safety: Navigating Borders, Background Checks, Passports & Privacy
- You travel regularly for work/leisure
- You're a journalist, activist, advocate
- You have someone to protect
- You have something to protect
What's included:
- Crossing Borders
- Device Hygiene & Safety
- Account Security
- Secure Communications while traveling
- Physical Safety
- Tools you can use
Why two German teens were turned away at the US border https://www.byteseu.com/948211/ #Advocacy #AI #and #border #Customs #deportation #Enabled #Germany #highlights #honolulu #Immigration #issues #Modular #ModularStory #Negative #Overall #OverallNegative #protection #social #SocialIssuesU0026Advocacy #story #StoryHighlightsAIEnabled #Transportation #Travel #TravelU0026Transportation #U.S. #U.S.CustomsAndBorderProtection #u0026 #VISA #VisaU0026Immigration
How to Protect Yourself From Phone Searches at the US #Border
https://www.wired.com/story/how-to-protect-yourself-from-phone-searches-at-the-us-border/
Last legislative session, lawmakers established an #AI advisory council to review how Texas state agencies are deploying AI. Agencies were required to produce an inventory of their automated decision systems and an overview of how each tool is used. https://www.texasobserver.org/texas-dps-surveillance-arsenal-artificial-intelligence-lege/
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