INFORMATION. BUT

>>> WELCOME BACK, EVERYBODY.

YOUR CELL PHONE HAS YOUR PHOTOS,

YOUR CONTACTS AND SOME OF YOUR

MOST PERSONAL INFORMATION.

THE NEXT TIME YOU GO THROUGH

AIRPORT CUSTOMS, YOU MAY HAVE TO

TURN IT OVER.

>> THE OFFICE OF THE INSPECTOR

GENERAL SAYS U.S. CUSTOMS ARE

SEARCHING ELECTRONIC DEVICES

MORE OFTEN NOW AND AGENTS AREN’T

ALWAYS FOLLOWING PROPER

PROTOCOL.

THE STORY OF A BOSTON WOMAN WHO

FEELS HER SEARCH AT LOGAN

AIRPORT CROSSED THE LINE.

>> I’M LIKE WHAT?

I’M SORRY, ARE YOU ALLOWED TO BE

ASKING ALL THIS.

>> Reporter: CASSIE IS A MODEL

AND INSTAGRAM BLOGGER.

>> I WANT TO TRAVEL AGAIN BUT

I’M KIND OF SCARED.

>> Reporter: IN SEPTEMBER SHE

FLEW FROM SPAIN TO BOSTON AND AS

REQUIRED WAS SCREENED BY U.S.

CUSTOMS AND BORDER PROTECTION.

SHE SCANNED HER PASSPORT,

DECLARED THE OLIVES SHE BOUGHT

AS A GIFT AND HANDED OVER HER

BAGS FOR INSPECTION.

>> HE WAS SEARCHING MY BAGS,

DIDN’T FIND ANYTHING.

AND HE’S LIKE WHAT DO YOU DO FOR

WORK?

WHAT DO YOU DO IN L.A.?

WHAT ARE YOU DOING IN BOSTON?

THEY REALLY INTERROGATED ME.

HE PICKED UP LIKE A BIKINI THING

AND HE’S LIKE YOU WORE THIS

THERE?

>> Reporter: KATHY SAYS THE MALE

AGENT WASN’T INTERESTED IN HER

OLIVES BUT ASKED HER TO TURN

OVER HER CELL PHONE AND

PASSWORD.

>> I’M LIKE YEAH THAT’S FINE.

CAN I GO WITH YOU?

HE’S LIKE NO YOU HAVE TO WAIT

HERE.

I HAVE ALL MY PASSWORDS,

PERSONAL PHOTOS.

AFTER THE FACT I WAS LIKE, DID

THEY JUST WANT TO SEE MY PHOTOS.

>> Reporter: SHE KEEPS HER

MODELING PHOTOS ON HER PHONE AND

HAD SOME PICTURES INTENDED ONLY

FOR HER BOYFRIEND ON THE DEVICE.

>> I WAS NERVOUS, UNCOMFORTABLE,

ANGRY.

>> Reporter: KATHY IS ONE OF THE

TENS OF THOUSANDS OF TRAVELERS

WHO HAVE HAD THEIR PHONES

SEARCHED BY CUSTOMS AGENTS IN

RECENT YEARS.

THE AGENCY’S OWN STATISTICS

SHOWS A 60% INCREASE IN 2017

OVER THE PREVIOUS YEAR.

ALL TRAVELERS ARRIVING IN THE

U.S. ARE SUBJECT TO INSPECTION,

WHICH CAN INCLUDE COMPUTERS,

DISKS DRIVES, TAPES AND MOBILE

PHONES.

THE AGENCY SAYS THEIR AGENTS

HAVE THE RIGHT TO ASK YOU FOR

YOUR PHONE’S PASSWORD AND THEY

CAN MAKE A COPY OF ITS CONTENTS.

>> TO BE TREATED LIKE THAT WAS

LIKE NOT OKAY WITH ME.

>> Reporter: STEPHANIE MALLEN

WITH U.S. CUSTOMED TELLS NBC

BOSTON SHE CAN’T DISCUSS HOW

KATHY’S INSPECTION WAS CARRIED

OUT BUT SAYS ANY TRAVEL WHOSE

DEVICE IS SEARCHED WOULD BE

PROVIDED WITH THIS INFORMATIONAL

SHEET.

DID THEY SHOW YOU ANY PAPERWORK?

>> NOTHING.

>> Reporter: IN FACT, A NEW

AUDIT FROM THE OFFICE OF THE

INSPECTOR GENERAL FOR HOMELAND

SECURITY FINDS THAT SOME CUSTOMS

SEARCHES DID NOT ALWAYS FOLLOW

PROPER PROTOCOL AND THE DATA

COLLECTED FROM PASSENGERS WAS

NOT ALWAYS PROPERLY SECURED.

>> THE TREND IS INCREASING AND

THAT’S WHY IT’S ALL THE MORE

IMPORTANT THAT RIGHT NOW THE

COURTS ISSUE DECLARATIONS SAYING

THIS KIND OF POLICY NEEDS TO

STOP.

>> Reporter: ACLU OF

MASSACHUSETTS AND ELECTRONIC

FRONTIER FOUNDATION HAVE FILED A

LAWSUIT.

>> WHAT WE AND OTHER ADVOCATES

ARE SAYING AND WHAT OUR LAWSUIT

IN THE FEDERAL DISTRICT OF

MASSACHUSETTS IS SAYING IS THAT

POLICY VIOLATES THE FIRST

AMENDMENT AND THE FOURTH

AMENDMENT OF THE U.S.

CONSTITUTION AND SHOULD BE

STOPPED. >> Reporter: CASSIE SAYS CUSTOMS

AGENTS HELD HER PHONE FOR 45

MINUTES.

>> HE CAME BACK AND HE’S LIKE,

OKAY, YOU CAN GO.

I’M KIND OF SCARED THAT MY

INFORMATION OR PHOTOS ARE

FLOATING AROUND SOMEWHERE.

>> Reporter: BEFORE TRAVELING

OUT OF THE COUNTRY, LEGAL

EXPERTS ADVISE YOU TO CLEAR YOUR

PHONE OF PERSONAL INFORMATION,

USE ENCRYPTION SERVICES OR LEAVE

YOUR PHONE AT HOME ALL TOGETHER.

IF ASKED, YOU CAN DECLINE TO

HAND OVER YOUR PHONE, BUT BORDER

AGENTS CAN DETAIN YOU OR TAKE

THE PHONE AWAY.

YOU CAN REQUEST AN ATTORNEY AT

THE SCENE IF YOU FEEL YOU NEED

LEGAL HELP.