UK border crossing and electronic privacy: What do I need to know as a visitor?
One notices on Border/Immigration programs that the USA and Canada do sometimes request access to your cell phone, laptop, and/or social media information at the airport. It's also all over the news and confirmed to be legal according to the laws of both countries.
I am yet to see or read about that for the UK. Are the privacy laws specifically for electronic data such as cell phone, laptops, and social media accounts different for a non-British national at UK border crossings?
Best Answer
In addition to the other answer, this is a follow up answer with the result of the case.
On September 26th 2017, Muhammed Abdur Rabbani was convicted of obstruction of justice for failing to supply police with the password or PIN for his electronic devices.
Senior District Judge Emma Arbuthnot rejected the defence, saying he had taken a "calculated risk" to refuse yet again to hand over the Pin and password, despite being warned.
She handed him a conditional discharge - meaning that nothing more will happen if he commits no crime for the next 12 months - and ordered him to pay £600 in costs and a £20 victim surcharge.
His electronic devices have been retained by the Metropolitan Police Force for ongoing examination.
This pretty much puts significant weight behind the lawfulness of the ability for the police to require you to hand over your passwords and PINs at a UK border, under Schedule 7 of the Terrorism Act 2000.
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