Canadian Arrested For Not Unlocking His Phone For Border Services

Canadian smartphone users need to keep an eye on this as it’s going to be important from the standpoint of your privacy. A resident of the province of Quebec returned from the Dominican Republic recently. Here’s what happened next:

The case of a Quebec man charged with obstructing border officials by refusing to give up his smartphone password has raised a new legal question in Canada, a law professor says.

Alain Philippon, 38, of Ste-Anne-des-Plaines, Que., refused to divulge his cellphone password to Canada Border Services Agency during a customs search Monday night at Halifax Stanfield International Airport.

Philippon had arrived in Halifax on a flight from Puerto Plata in the Dominican Republic. The charge against him carries a maximum penalty of $25,000 and a year in prison.

Lovely. Here’s the key thing: Canada Border Services Agency may say that they have the right to search your electronic devices. But this has never been tested in court. Thus this could really backfire on the Canada Border Services agency. I would say that Canadians should keep an eye on this as I suspect that case law is about to be made.

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