American lawyers urged to use 'burner phones' when travelling abroad to protect information from US border inspection - Telegraph

American lawyers urged to use 'burner phones' when travelling abroad to protect information from US border inspection
 Lawyers urged to leave smart phones at home when travelling abroad
Lawyers urged to leave smart phones at home when travelling abroad
 David Millward, us correspondent
5 APRIL 2018 • 12:55AM
Lawyers in the US are being advised to use “burner phones” when they travel abroad to protect information from government inspection on re-entering the country.

The advice, given by the New York Bar Association, comes against the backdrop of the Trump administration tightening border security.

Anyone entering the US can be asked to turn over their computers and phones to Customs and Border Protection for inspection.
They will also be expected to disclose passwords to enable officials to examine their correspondence.

Foreigners who refuse to comply can be denied entry into the country while US citizens face having their equipment confiscated temporarily to allow further inspection.

 Customs and Border Protection have the right to inspect smart phones
Customs and Border Protection have the right to inspect smart phones CREDIT: CHRIS HONDROS/GETTY IMAGES
The American Bar Association, which has 400,000 members, has been trying to persuade the Department of Homeland Security to devise a policy which will protect lawyer-client privilege.

Last year Linda Klein, the Association’s chairman, appealed to John Kelly, then the Homeland Security Secretary, to permit only cursory inspection of lawyers’ computers and phones.

But no agreement has been reached, leading the New York Bar Association to suggest drastic measures.

It has urged lawyers to use “burner phones” – cheap throwaway devices often seen in modern crime shows.

The Association has also advised lawyers to install software to wipe sensitive information and to disconnect from cloud services.

As things stand, the courts have yet to reach a conclusive decision on the legality of inspecting phones and computers.

Currently 0.017 per cent of people entering the US are subjected to an electronic device search.