If it makes you feel any better I came back from an international trip at some point when this was all being reported on and neither myself, my partner, nor anyone I saw had their phones searched or was pulled aside. They asked what kind of trip it was, how long we stayed, where we went and if we had any alcohol, tobacco, or food.

We were traveling from Europe back to a “blue” State if that means anything. I would imagine the process would be more stringent depending on where you’re coming from.

If you do end up going you should definitely still consider encryption + backups and logging out of or deleting apps you are signed into. You could also bring a cheap barebones burner or work phone if you have one. There are plenty of articles online that describe the process of protecting your privacy when traveling abroad and returning.

Good luck!

Yeah, to be fair I didn’t know what I was doing really. They were smaller and specialized so I am guessing they are pretty tight knit and selective.

I had been browsing without an account since Reddit banned third party apps. After a few months of testing the waters I had applied for a few tech focused instances because I thought that would be fitting since it is my career. I got rejected so I just stuck with the one that approved and let me comment on posts.