What Australians flying to the US need to know about phone and device searches at the border

Can immigration deny you entry if you refuse to hand over your phone? What can officials look at or download, and how can you protect your devices?

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If you are an Australian travelling to the United States, recent reports of travellers having their devices searched at the border and being refused entry might give you pause for thought.

A French scientist was recently denied entry to the US after immigration officers found messages on his phone critical of Donald Trump. German and British citizens have also encountered problems at US airports, according to reports.