The article doesn’t mention what happens if non-citizens decline, but The Guardian says:
For visa holders and travelers from visa waiver countries, they are at risk of being denied entry if they refuse to unlock devices
Which is really dumb IMO, because if a cop tries that just after being allowed in, then it’s a violation of the 4th amendment. I really hate that.
The law here actually extends to areas near international borders(up to 100 miles) and in principle includes any airport that receives international flights. So, basically everywhere. This occasionally comes up in real cases.
Sort of. The federal government has extra control in those 100 miles, but they can’t just violate your rights.
In their eyes, foreigners don’t have rights.
Can’t this be avoided, at least on Android, by simply shutting down your phone? Thought I read somewhere that they lock down everything, even system processes, after turning on again until you unlock it again. Or are you also forced to type the password and let them in?
The law requires you to unlock it, but as far as I’m aware its legality has never faced a major challenge and there are some civil rights groups who are confident it won’t survive one.
Truth be told though most phones don’t have robust enough security to withstand even a short duration attack from the tools available to law enforcement.
