United States customs officials conducted an unprecedented number of searches on electronic devices last year of individuals traveling to the U.S. A recent update to their guidelines now includes additional items like smartwatches, SIM cards, and flash drives for scrutiny during inspections.
In 2025, officers inspected 55,318 computers, smartphones, and other gadgets, marking a 17.6% surge from the 47,047 devices examined in 2024 and a 32.4% increase from the 41,767 devices checked in 2023, as per data from U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP).
CBP has not disclosed the specific distribution of these searches between the northern and southern borders or between airports and land crossings. The number of routine device inspections, which can be carried out without suspicion of unlawful activity, climbed from 42,725 in 2024 to 50,922 in 2025.
The count of advanced searches, where officers review or duplicate device content, saw a slight uptick to 4,396 from 4,322 in 2024 and 3,989 in 2023. CBP guidelines mandate advanced searches only when there is reasonable suspicion of illicit behavior or national security concerns.
While non-U.S. citizens have experienced a gradual increase in device searches, the scrutiny of devices belonging to American citizens has notably surged from 8,657 in 2023 to 13,590 in 2025.
The Canadian government updated its travel advisory for the U.S. last year, cautioning about the authority of U.S. customs officials to examine phones and laptops at the border. However, on the Canadian side, the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) has seen a decline in the number of device searches in recent years.
In 2024, CBSA conducted 1,108 searches, leading to 498 violations. In the same year, CBP scrutinized devices of 0.011% of 420.5 million travelers, whereas CBSA inspected devices of only 0.0012% of 93.7 million travelers.
Karine Martel, a CBSA spokesperson, stated that the agency’s policy restricts routine electronic device examinations. Recent court rulings have raised the bar and imposed limitations on exercising this authority.
Esha Bhandari from the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) highlighted a steady rise in device searches by CBP over the years, emphasizing the need for judicial intervention to safeguard privacy rights.
Bhandari emphasized the ACLU’s legal challenges against these searches, stressing that court rulings on device searches vary across different regions of the U.S. until a comprehensive Supreme Court decision is reached.
The revised CBP directive, effective from January, governs electronic device inspections. It expands the scope of searchable items to include flash drives, SIM cards, and smart watches, reinforcing the offenses that these searches aim to detect.
Jessica Jensen, an immigration lawyer from Winnipeg, noted an increase in advanced searches by CBP officers and praised the updated directive for providing clearer guidelines. She advised travelers on how to prepare their devices for inspection and highlighted the option to decline a search, albeit with repercussions on travel plans to the U.S.
