Canada

'What we're seeing is an exercise of discretion that's much stricter than ever before': Toronto-based lawyer

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has released new data showing a sharp rise in electronic device searches at border crossings.

From July to August alone, CBP conducted 14,899 electronic device searches, up more than 21 per cent from the previous quarter. CBP also reported a 36 per cent increase compared to all of last year's third quarter. Most of those were basic searches, but 1,075 were "advanced," allowing officers to copy and analyze device contents.

While electronic device searches jumped by 12.6 per cent over the past year, the total number of travellers entering the United States rose by 6.6 per cent. Among the most notable inceases are searches of U.S. citizens' devices, which rose nearly 22 per cent.