A Canadian citizen of 20 years says a US border agent copied his whole phone, then denied him entry over his Iranian passport stamps

Farzan Yaz claims that during a recent attempt to cross into the U.S., a border agent copied the entire contents of his phone before denying him entry. In an Instagram post with over 2.2 million views, Yaz said he has been a Canadian citizen for 20 years but is regularly stopped because his passport lists his birthplace as Iran.

According to Yaz, he was crossing the Peace Bridge in Niagara Falls when he was pulled aside for additional questioning and eventually told to hand over his phone. He said the agent promised several times not to copy his data or look at his photos, explaining that he only wanted to check that Yaz’s answers matched what was on the device.

Yaz said he was told he wouldn’t be allowed across if he didn’t comply, and he had a lot riding on the weekend. After he unlocked his phone and handed it over, he said, the agent gave him a pamphlet stating that officers can copy any of a device’s contents. When he pointed out the contradiction, telling the agent, “You just told me you won’t. But this says you can,” Yaz said he was told not to worry.

Yaz says he found signs his phone had been copied

After being fingerprinted, Yaz eventually got his phone back, along with word that he was being denied entry until he could provide a professional, notarized translation of the stamps in his Iranian passport. He told viewers he then went back to his car and checked his Samsung phone’s settings.

Yaz claimed the phone’s storage sharing and remote access features had been used, and alleged that the agent copied everything on the device to his computer. He also claimed the agent accessed his NFC and payment settings, and in his caption, he said he feared the data had been taken for personal use.

Yaz’s account comes from his own post and can’t be independently verified, and CBP’s side of the encounter isn’t available. Many viewers urged him to replace his phone and change his payment methods and account passwords as a precaution.

One commenter pointed out that law enforcement officers can lie during questioning. Others suggested he report the incident to the Canadian government or use a separate phone for future travel.

According to the law firm Constangy, U.S. Customs and Border Protection maintains broad legal authority to search electronic devices at ports of entry without a warrant or probable cause. This includes both basic manual searches and advanced searches in which devices are connected to forensic tools to copy data. 

The firm notes that while U.S. citizens generally cannot be denied entry for refusing to unlock a device, they can face significant delays and have their phones confiscated. Non-citizens, on the other hand, can be refused admission. CBP’s handling of travelers has drawn scrutiny before, including a U.S. citizen’s alleged detainment that the agency disputed.

Constangy advises travelers to back up their data before trips, use travel-specific devices, and encrypt their information to protect their privacy, as travelers should operate under the assumption that their digital footprint is subject to review.