How to prepare your mobile phone for the Russian border: Meduza’s complete survival guide
A growing number of Russians living overseas who return to the country temporarily are reporting psychological pressure and mobile-phone searches at the Russian border. These inspections can result in consequences far more severe than travel delays, including criminal charges and incarceration. Understanding your personal risk and exactly how to prepare your devices for the trip can be difficult,…
Title: How to Prepare Your Mobile Phone for the Russian Border: Meduza's Complete Survival Guide
Introduction:
Many Russians living abroad returning to the country face psychological pressure and mobile phone searches at the Russian border. These inspections can lead to severe consequences, including criminal charges and incarceration. To prepare your devices for the trip, Meduza collaborated with a lawyer and a cybersecurity expert to create this detailed guide addressing key questions.
Key Points:
1. Special FSB machines can find everything on a device, and refusing to unlock it may be risky.
2. Create separate accounts and apps for the trip, avoid Ukrainian numbers, and use a long alphanumeric password.
3. Turn off Face ID and fingerprint unlock, update the operating system, and set a strong password.
4. Keep the phone turned off until cleared through all checkpoints, and agree to unlock it if asked.
5. If you cannot prepare a separate phone, act confidently and calmly, but consult with a lawyer beforehand.
Conclusion:
Preparation is crucial, but it may not always matter due to pre-determined decisions made before border control. If you're certain about your safety and the appropriateness of bringing your device, consider it carefully with a lawyer. Remain calm during border checks and consult with legal professionals if needed.
Written by urgent.news from Meduza (English)'s reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
