Amid mounting worries about possible new travel restrictions and heightened surveillance at US borders under President Donald Trump’s administration, the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has strongly recommended journalists visiting the country to exercise extra caution.
The CPJ aims to offer comprehensive legal, digital, and physical safety guidelines to assist the journalists working on politically sensitive stories and alert them about the possible border searches, surveillance, and the possibility of being arrested or refused entry to the United States.
The warning comes as it was reported that the Trump administration is considering a new plan to limit entries from over 40 countries, including several African nations, Russia, Iran, and Venezuela.
Under the Trump administration, a number of nations have strengthened their travel recommendations for its residents, alerting them to the possibility of increased border inspection following the denial of some international visitors.
What are CPJ’s concerns?
The extensive power of US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to examine travellers’ electronic gadgets without a warrant or reasonable suspicion is one of the CPJ’s main concerns.
Reporters can be asked to give access of their social media accounts, laptops, or phones, which could result in the copying or storing of private information. Non-citizens and dual nationalities in particular may face prolonged interrogation, equipment confiscation, or refusal of entry if they refuse to cooperate.
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Speaking with Newsweek, Negar Mortazavi, Senior Fellow at the Center for International Policy and host of The Iran Podcast, recalled the experience of being at border.
“I have already experienced these border searches and they reminded me of the atmosphere of dystopian authoritarian states where people fear the government for saying the wrong thing not just in public but even in private communications,” Mortazavi said.
CPJ’s suggestions for journalists entering the US
It is advisable that journalists bring clean, independent devices that aren’t connected to their personal or professional accounts when they travel.
Before crossing the border, devices should be turned off, encrypted, and free of unnecessary data. It’s also suggested to disable biometric access, delete browsing history, and log out of programs.
