It's pretty hard to corroborate a story like this. Everyone has to make their own judgment, but I cannot give the benefit of the doubt to the US government. What reason does this guy have to lie? If he was denied entry because of something actually illegal or non legit, why would he risk this exposure to make something up? If he wasn't denied entry and just decided to fly home and make up the lie, why pay for a vacation?

Given that federal agencies have zero accountability to the legislative branch or the courts, or the constitution for that matter -- something that the constitutionalists suddenly aren't concerned about -- this is the best you're possibly going to get. And this story is hardly alone, and there are many similar tales. Canadians are being asked their position on Trump, which is as sure a demonstration possible that zero Canadians should be travelling to that country for any reason.

Do you expect the vile dog-shooting sociopath Kristi Noem to speak to this, given it's under her realm of extraordinary incompetence? Maybe she can play dressup to try to get some camera time.

For years we heard whines and cries about the politicization of government. Well the entire apparatus of the US federal government now wears a red hat and writes an essay declaring fealty to the king. It didn't take much for the country to collapse into a fallen idiocracy/husk of an autocracy, at least as a prelude for the utterly inevitable secessionist movement that is going to kick up to an 11.

Do you ever get tired of spinning narratives in service of the regime? Do you feel like border agents have been acting lawfully and trustfully recently?

Nope, they barely even talk to you. I've crossed the Chinese border literally hundreds of times, mostly from Hong Kong. They usually don’t ask anything and if they do, it's just a basic "What's the purpose of your visit?" I’ve never had my bags searched or been sent to secondary inspection. Even crossed with one barefoot once (long story) and wasn't even asked about it.

In contrast, my worst border experiences have been in the U.S. and Canada (and I've traveled to over 30 countries).

In the US, I was nearly denied entry at SFO while on a valid TN visa simply because I didn't have a business card with me. The officer also referred to my wife as a "Chinese bitch" - within earshot (this happened during the Obama years). I had to let them handle my phone a bit to verify work emails, etc. But they didn't really search through it beyond that.

In Canada, I was sent to secondary inspection, had my bags searched, and was asked to show the photos on my phone. I was questioned for over an hour and they never told me the reason for it. It felt like they suspected me of smuggling drugs because the guy kept asking me what I had for breakfast... I'm Canadian btw and don't do drugs.

They have never gone through my phone, although I guess if they wanted to nothing would stop them. The immigration agents don't even ask questions most of the time, heck, I don't even here them speak on most of my entries.

Have been to China multiple times and no, this does not happen.

Not when I went there. I needed a lot of paperwork for the visa at their embassy, and to surrender my passport for a few days, and a signed statement from my employer that I was not a journalist of any kind.

I got in. I was sent to some form of secondary screening, but they apparently couldn't find anybody who could speak English, so they just let me in.

Edit: I'm from a rich western country, in case it matters for anybody getting an understanding of who gets treated what way.

Not in my experience. They check your passport and your visa. Didn’t go anywhere near my phone. I wouldn’t be sharing Winnie the Pooh memes on WeChat though.

I'm sure it happens, and they also don't systematically check phones when entering the US, it's probably exceedingly rare and I've never witnessed it despite travelling to the US 3 times since Trump got elected.

Case in point this is only the 2nd story ever to come out about someone being detained / refused entry for content that was on their phone since Trump is president.

Yes they do, once you connect to cell service in China your data is comprised. As well as unlawful detentions and exit bans.

But we don't talk about that for whatever reason.

Visited PRC several times. They didn’t even ask much of a reason for my visit beyond “tourism”.

Can you read Norwegian? https://www.nettavisen.no/nyheter/to-bilder-spolerte-drommef... and https://www.nordlys.no/mads-sin-drommereise-til-usa-spolert-...

Coincidence.

A mad coincidence - I caught that as well.

...unless you run afoul of any of their many obscure laws, even unintentionally. I had a relative travel to Japan with his family. He's into locksport (watches Lock Picking Lawyer, etc). He had some lock picking paraphernalia on his person that he forgot about since he just carries it around 24/7 without thinking about it. Long story short, they were discovered in a metal detector at some point and Japanese security whisked him away to an interrogation room. He tried to explain locksport and youtube but the Japanese police were incredulous. He spent a full day in Japanese detention (leaving his wife and kids stranded in Tokyo without him) and at one point it was looking like he might be facing more serious charges, but then luckily someone from an American military base was able to bail him out somehow.

Funnily enough weed is more legal in the US than Norway.

It's anticipatory obedience, "a situation where one attempts to predict expectations others (particularly superiors) have, without explicit communication, and to fulfill (or exceed) those expectations.", see https://en.m.wiktionary.org/wiki/anticipatory_obedience

Perhaps the most consistent common thread of despotic and tyrannical types is a complete absence of a sense of humor.

Most likely, this wasn’t official policy — just a low-paid border agent on a personal power trip. Give a man a uniform, and watch him turn tyrant. The Stanford Prison Experiment says hello.

The real problem is that the US system allows individuals with minimal training and virtually no oversight to wield unchecked power over travelers' lives.

This is really just the essence of bureaucracy - which is the problem with these rules that sounds fine if you don't think about the implementation of them.

Trump himself probably wouldn't care (which is why he thinks these rules are fine - he knows what should be a jailable offense) but of course the bureaucracy needs to make rules that any of the thousands of border guards can follow. The outcome is a bullwhip effect and you get this (or worse).

I won't be reconsidering in four years. The American people have shown who they are. Like you say, plenty of other countries to visit.

CBP has broad search authority at borders without warrants, and while they can't criminally charge you for refusing to unlock your device, they can deny entry, seize the device, and ban you from future entry - effectively making the "5 years in prison" threat misleading but the practical consequences still severe.

?? This has been called out for more than a decade I think. Within 100 miles of the border CBP has broad discretion and rights are limited in these types of circumstances.

By not travelling to the US if you're not willing to do it

Don't see how it wouldn't be legal as long as the target of the request isn't a citizen

IANAL, but I would expect that it's extremely unlikely to be fined or imprisoned when you can simply be deported prior to entry. Technically until you pass through border control, you aren't "in" the country you are traveling to, so they can simply refuse entry and deport you.