Just days after the United States assassinated Iranian general Qasem Soleimani, US Customs and Border Protection reportedly detained more than 60 Iranian Americans and Iranians, including children, at the US–Canada border. Multiple sources present claim that while some of those detained were held, in certain cases for up to 10 hours, CBP confiscated some of their phones, ordered them to hand over their social media passwords, and questioned them about their political views and social media activity.
As stand-alone incidents, such reported treatment of US citizens and travelers is disturbing. But what makes this more acutely alarming is the fact that this experience is becoming increasingly common. More and more, US officials are requesting travelers’ social media information and questioning them about their online speech, all of which feeds the government’s growing social media surveillance apparatus.
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Source: Iran Tensions Increase Social Media Surveillance at the US Border | WIRED