Crossing the border is a situation where Customs has the Constitutional authority to search goods for contraband.

Seach and confiscation can happen at EU borders too. On an academic trip to the EU our university told us not to take our school laptops, warning that they could be searched and confiscated.

I am not a lawyer.

You are combining two separate things, saying and doing.

With respect to saying I think your options include being truthful or stating that you exercise your right to remain silent.

With respect to doing I think your options include complying with a search of your data or saying that you do not consent to a search.

I think their options include confiscating your phone.

The above assume a US border. I’m not sure about an EU border, on a academic trip our university advised us to leave our computers at home since they were sibject to search and confiscation. Problem being things like a US version of some software using an encryption method not allowed in the EU.

I think destroying evidence might require being the suspect of a criminal act where that data could be evidence. Plus possibly weird things like a judge instructing a jury that they may assume data was deleted to destroy evidence if they believe so.

Now, can you say the phone or laptop you are carrying is not your main device. That its just a stripped down device for travel due to the software you normally have installed, concern over compliance with foreign law (ex encryption), theft, malware, and spyware in a foreign country, concern over possible confiscation at a foreign border as warned by your university. If true, I suspect that is an option.

And none of it means US Customs won’t confiscate it. Which would seem another valid reason for not bringing your main device.

That does not make sense.

I actually enjoy the silly AI images and bad Photoshop jobs that are all over Amazon - some of them are hilarious!

First, if the method is a video selfie, couldn't an AI video be used to fake it?

Second, do I care if people believe I'm real or not?

Despite being loaded with Trump appointees, the Supreme Court already ruled against the concept of tariffs imposed by Trump arbitrarily. If he wants to apply tariffs now, he has to provide documentation spelling out the legal framework justifying them.

The EU certainly understands this.

Trump's cronies appear to mostly be isolationists. Their mindset is stuck in the mid-to-late 1930s - a terrible time for the rank and file, but the rich weren't suffering...

Not a lawyer - but I believe that is untrue. It is inherently illegal to lie to a federal officer. Even in a simple non-custodial interview out in public.

No a lawyer - but I've been told that crossing the US border is a special case and they can inspect your belongings. If you will not unlock the phone they are allowed to confiscate it.

Similar with laptops. When traveling to the EU for academic purposes our university told is not to bring out computers. That all sorts of things can trip you up at the border. For example a US version of software that has "military grade" encryption.

Not a lawyer- but I've been told that if you destroy data a judge may instruct a jury that they are free to interpret that as an attempt to hide evidence.

That's one of the reasons they keep losing in court - they don't really have any competent lawyers in this administration.

Or, alternatively, the password could simply wipe all your files (including any password databases) before it unlocks the phone - leaving the OS intact.

Maybe it could also add a couple photos of Donald J. Trump to your photo library at the same time.

If the Border Patrol can claim you aren't (yet) on US soil, I'd think they also have no jurisdiction over you yet because you're not on US soil.

Even years later, the fact that his name is Weiner is still freaking hilarious!

Facebook has added a Dick Pick login option.

My point is more about where they drew the line. Besides the performance items mentioned, the circa 2013 hardware would have been missing security related CPU functionality they wanted.