In a dramatic escalation of travel precautions, travel advisories in Italy, Sweden, Belgium, Portugal, Spain, Poland, Bulgaria and Canada are urging their citizens to use phones with minimal "flashlight" functions instead of smartphones when entering the United States – in response to growing fears of aggressive mobile device screening at the U.S. border, privacy violations and arbitrary detentions.
This is according to a travelandtourworld.com article.
These countries cite growing reports of travelers having their personal data subjected to unauthorized access by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), with emails, messages and online accounts scrutinized without a warrant. To avoid digital disclosure and ensure a smooth and hassle-free travel experience, officials in Europe and Canada are now advising a simple solution: ditch your smartphone and travel in peace – with an old phone.
This marks a diplomatic and strategic departure from standard protocols, signaling to citizens that crossing into the U.S. now carries not only physical but also digital risks. Traditionally reserved for trips to authoritarian regimes, recommendations to use other phones are now being made by Washington’s closest allies — signaling a profound erosion of trust in American border practices.
Reports from across the Atlantic and North America suggest a troubling trend: travelers are being detained or denied entry to the United States based on digital content discovered during these checks.
This is no longer just advice for journalists or diplomats. It has become a new reality for ordinary travelers, businesspeople, students, and tourists.
Canada was the first to issue a warning in early April 2025. In addition to warning its citizens to avoid carrying personal smartphones, Canada announced a new rule requiring travelers staying in the United States for more than 30 days to register with Canadian authorities.
The response was swift. Legal experts and privacy advocates in Canada have highlighted numerous incidents in which travelers have been detained or subjected to invasive questioning based on the contents of a personal device. As the number of cases has risen, Canada’s public response has evolved into an official travel advisory.
A cascade of European countries followed. Spain was among the first in Europe to join Canada, citing similar incidents of Spanish citizens being questioned about political memes and social media posts.
Italy’s foreign ministry issued a parallel advisory, warning travelers to avoid logging into personal accounts while in the United States and to consider using disposable devices. Belgium and Poland also warned of “unpredictable law enforcement” and “device-based detentions,” urging citizens to “digitally liberate themselves.” before traveling.
Sweden and Finland have expressed these concerns, citing violations of human rights and privacy. Finland specifically warned business travelers to avoid carrying sensitive company data and recommended using encrypted cloud storage.
Luxembourg, Greece, and Portugal emphasized the need for digital hygiene and storage separation, recommending that travelers back up their content to the cloud and wipe all devices before boarding.
Bulgaria and Hungary rounded out the list, urging citizens to avoid traveling with devices that contain personal, professional, or political data.
Each of these countries explicitly emphasized the same solution: use recorders and devices with minimal features to ensure a smooth entry process at the U.S. border.
Although the European Union has not officially announced an alliance-wide directive, the EU has reportedly begun distributing minimal feature phones and "cleaned" laptops to its diplomats and senior officials traveling to the United States. The EU advises all employees to avoid traveling with personal smartphones. Instead, they must use pre-approved hardware approved by EU cybersecurity teams, which highlights a dramatic reassessment of risk.
Previously, this level of caution was reserved for trips to high-risk countries such as China, Russia or Iran. The fact that these same measures are now being used for visits to the US - a NATO ally - reflects the seriousness of Europe's concerns about US digital practices.
The advice comes after several incidents involving European and Canadian travellers have raised concerns:
German teenagers were denied entry to Honolulu in March 2025 after failing to show hotel confirmations. It is alleged that CBP agents accessed messages on their phones to determine their intention to work without permission.
A Spanish journalist was detained for questioning at a US airport for more than six hours. CBP agents were allegedly looking for emails containing comments on US politics. Although he was eventually released, he missed the connection and filed a formal protest with the Spanish Foreign Ministry.
A Canadian software engineer traveling to a technical conference had his company laptop confiscated at Newark International Airport. Despite presenting business documentation, private messages flagged in a group chat led to a secondary check and a temporary entry ban.
These events have heightened diplomatic concern and public support for the new recommendations.
As fears grow, the economic fallout is already being felt. Tourism Economics predicts that international travel to the United States will decline by 15.2% in 2025, resulting in an estimated $90 billion in lost tourism revenue.
Canada, long the largest source of visitors from the United States, saw a sharp decline in border crossings — 12.5% in February and 18% in March, according to CBP data. Trips from Germany are down nearly 30%, while visitors from Spain, Colombia and Portugal are down 25-33% respectively.
Online platforms like Threads (META) are flooded with stories of canceled trips, detentions and solidarity movements, especially among younger travelers from European capitals. The message is clear: many would rather stay away than risk being digitally compromised.
What should travelers do now?
If you’re traveling to the U.S. from Spain, Italy, Belgium, Poland, Sweden, Finland, Greece, Portugal, Bulgaria, Hungary, or Canada, or are simply concerned about privacy, here’s what experts recommend:
Use a phone with minimal "flashlight" features, with no personal accounts linked to it;
Back up data to encrypted cloud storage and wipe all devices before you leave;
Log out of social media, email, banking apps, and messaging platforms;
Disable biometrics (fingerprint/facial recognition) and use local passwords;
Limit the number of devices you carry – more devices may increase check-in times;
Bring printed boarding passes and round-trip tickets;
Avoid storing political, activist, or sensitive personal information on devices;
Consider encrypted browsers and messaging apps for secure communication
The line between convenience and control is getting thinner. Travelers are being forced to choose between living their digital lives or protecting their privacy.
As global surveillance intensifies, the humble phone may just become the most essential travel essential in 2025.