DHS does not deny strong-arming tourist into letting them into his phone, only that agents sent him home because of a meme
The story circulating online — first in Norwegian newspaper Nordlys and then picked up by British tabloids — claims that during Mikkelsen’s encounter with the Department of Homeland Security, agents took his phone and found a meme depicting Vance as a bloated, smooth, bald man staring off into the distance.
Mikkelsen claims that the officials threatened to fine him $5,000 or send him to prison for five years if he refused to provide them with his phone password. The tourist ultimately agreed to hand over his information, allowing agents to look through his phone.
The reports picked up enough steam in headlines and on social media to justify CBP putting out a statement denying parts of the story.
Even when you enter China the officials won’t check your phone. They just tell you to install their “com.gov.mfa” apk downloaded from a server with invalid SSL certificate and totally not suspicious permissions like:
android.permission.FOREGROUND_SERVICE android.permission.ACCESS_NETWORK_STATE android.permission.INTERNET android.permission.READ_PRIVILEGED_PHONE_STATE android.permission.WRITE_EXTERNAL_STORAGE android.permission.CAMERA android.permission.ACCESS_WIFI_STATE android.permission.READ_SETTINGS android.permission.READ_EXTERNAL_STORAGE android.permission.BLUETOOTH_ADMIN android.permission.ACCESS_COARSE_LOCATION android.permission.ACCESS_FINE_LOCATION android.permission.GET_TASKS android.permission.RECEIVE_USER_PRESENT android.permission.WAKE_LOCK android.permission.VIBRATE android.permission.SYSTEM_ALERT_WINDOW android.permission.CHANGE_NETWORK_STATE android.permission.CHANGE_WIFI_STATE android.permission.RECORD_AUDIO android.permission.MODIFY_AUDIO_SETTINGS android.permission.ACCESS_LOCATION_EXTRA_COMMANDS android.permission.REQUEST_INSTALL_PACKAGES android.permission.BLUETOOTH android.permission.CALL_PHONE android.permission.READ_PHONE_STATE android.permission.PROCESS_OUTGOING_CALLS com.asus.msa.SupplementaryDID.ACCESS com.gov.mfa.permission.SP_NOTIFY_CHANGE com.coloros.mcs.permission.RECIEVE_MCS_MESSAGE android.permission.REORDER_TASKS android.permission.USE_FULL_SCREEN_INTENT android.permission.DOWNLOAD_WITHOUT_NOTIFICATION android.permission.ACCESS_DOWNLOAD_MANAGER android.permission.LOCAL_MAC_ADDRESS android.permission.READ_APN_SETTINGS android.permission.BROADCAST_STICKY android.permission.WRITE_SETTINGS com.gov.mfa.permission.TMF_SHARK com.gov.mfa.permission.MIPUSH_RECEIVE android.permission.QUERY_ALL_PACKAGES android.permission.FLASHLIGHT android.permission.MOUNT_UNMOUNT_FILESYSTEMS android.permission.RECEIVE_BOOT_COMPLETED com.gov.mfa.permission.PROCESS_PUSH_MSG com.gov.mfa.permission.PUSH_PROVIDER android.permission.FOREGROUND_SERVICE_MEDIA_PROJECTION com.huawei.appmarket.service.commondata.permission.GET_COMMON_DATAand totally legitimate looking activities like
com.tencent.rtmp.video.TXScreenCapture$TXScreenCaptureAssistantActivity,com.tencent.qcloud.logutils.LogActivityandcom.tencent.liteav.audio2.permission.PermissionActivityNo they don’t. Customs in China is like 2 seconds of them glancing at your passport, looking at you, and stamping it. Literally the fastest I’ve ever got through an airport is in China, both arriving and leaving.
Lol, btw my dad who is still a PRC Citizen had to download an app and install it via .apk, because the Google Play Store doesn’t have it, in order to apply for the Passport Renew in the app. Because (1) there is no Embassy in my city, and he’d have to travel 2-3 hours to get to the closest Embassey/Consulate and (2) since Covid, they made appointment process much difficult, and encourage online application instead.
They have do like a face scan using the app. Very futuristic to not have to do it in person, but simultaneously very uncanny and creepy to have essentially the Embassy stepping inside your house with the camera and microphone permissions.
I think he kept the app installed to check on the application progress, so the CCP could’ve technically heard the political debates about Taiwan and stuff in the house. So yea I’m probably on the watchlists of both PRC and USA for being a dissident, the two most powerful nations in the world doesn’t very like dissidents like me who hates authoritarians. Wonderful. If they every go after everyone, I literally have nowhere in the world that can escape from the tentacles of these both these authoritarians. But lucky I’m not that important, so so far, no agent of the government have come after me, yet.
Wow, I’d just buy a new phone to install this and only this app if thats what it came down to. One with a removable battery that I could remove the battery between any required usages.
I have entered the US around 10x/year and haven’t being searched (I’m not saying it doesn’t happen, tho), I’ve visited china multiple times last years and not been asked to install anything, either. Haven’t heard about that app install requirement before, any articles about it?
In around 2019 two of my colleagues were visiting China for business thing, one had Xiaomi phone and wasn’t asked to do anything, another had Samsung and his phone was searched.
It’s an anecdote, so make of it as you will.
Maybe they saw the phone and thought “ah, he’s already covered.”
Maybe this weird off topic claim isn’t being made with intellectual honesty
I’m not making any claims, deliberately, because I don’t know inner workings of Chinese surveillance system. I’m just relaying an anecdote.
It’s not forced but the paper slip for immigration now is online, so it’s this app or the mini app inside WeChat (or waiting a couple hours in the line for the clerk that basically signs up a WeChat for you and inserts your data in the MFA mini app)
*long slow stare* …but WHY THOUGH?
Because he’s lying. I travel to China regularly and they don’t give a fuck about my phone. Not once have they done more than just glance at my passport, glance at me, and stamp it and send me on my way.
After a quick analysis of the app it looks like used by an activity licensed by a japanese software house that shines it to see if it has a live person in front of the camera or a picture of it. The legitimate use of this in the app it’s because you can apply to visa, passports and certificates remotely without the need of going to the embassy (you still need to go in person for identification though, as they don’t really trust it)
Flashlight on android is actually a flash for camera, if you want to get proper access to the camera you kind of need this one.
If the secret police are trying to find you, they could turn on your flashlight and make hiding harder?