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US officials forced to share bald JD Vance meme by denying tourist’s claim he was denied entry over photo (www.independent.co.uk)
submitted 1 year ago by to c/politics@lemmy.world
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DHS does not deny strong-arming tourist into letting them into his phone, only that agents sent him home because of a meme

The story circulating online — first in Norwegian newspaper Nordlys and then picked up by British tabloids — claims that during Mikkelsen's encounter with the Department of Homeland Security, agents took his phone and found a meme depicting Vance as a bloated, smooth, bald man staring off into the distance.

Mikkelsen claims that the officials threatened to fine him $5,000 or send him to prison for five years if he refused to provide them with his phone password. The tourist ultimately agreed to hand over his information, allowing agents to look through his phone.

The reports picked up enough steam in headlines and on social media to justify CBP putting out a statement denying parts of the story.

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[–] 28 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (15 children)

Even when you enter China the officials won't check your phone. They just tell you to install their "com.gov.mfa" apk downloaded from a server with invalid SSL certificate and totally not suspicious permissions like:

android.permission.FOREGROUND_SERVICE
android.permission.ACCESS_NETWORK_STATE
android.permission.INTERNET
android.permission.READ_PRIVILEGED_PHONE_STATE
android.permission.WRITE_EXTERNAL_STORAGE
android.permission.CAMERA
android.permission.ACCESS_WIFI_STATE
android.permission.READ_SETTINGS
android.permission.READ_EXTERNAL_STORAGE
android.permission.BLUETOOTH_ADMIN
android.permission.ACCESS_COARSE_LOCATION
android.permission.ACCESS_FINE_LOCATION
android.permission.GET_TASKS
android.permission.RECEIVE_USER_PRESENT
android.permission.WAKE_LOCK
android.permission.VIBRATE
android.permission.SYSTEM_ALERT_WINDOW
android.permission.CHANGE_NETWORK_STATE
android.permission.CHANGE_WIFI_STATE
android.permission.RECORD_AUDIO
android.permission.MODIFY_AUDIO_SETTINGS
android.permission.ACCESS_LOCATION_EXTRA_COMMANDS
android.permission.REQUEST_INSTALL_PACKAGES
android.permission.BLUETOOTH
android.permission.CALL_PHONE
android.permission.READ_PHONE_STATE
android.permission.PROCESS_OUTGOING_CALLS
com.asus.msa.SupplementaryDID.ACCESS
com.gov.mfa.permission.SP_NOTIFY_CHANGE
com.coloros.mcs.permission.RECIEVE_MCS_MESSAGE
android.permission.REORDER_TASKS
android.permission.USE_FULL_SCREEN_INTENT
android.permission.DOWNLOAD_WITHOUT_NOTIFICATION
android.permission.ACCESS_DOWNLOAD_MANAGER
android.permission.LOCAL_MAC_ADDRESS
android.permission.READ_APN_SETTINGS
android.permission.BROADCAST_STICKY
android.permission.WRITE_SETTINGS
com.gov.mfa.permission.TMF_SHARK
com.gov.mfa.permission.MIPUSH_RECEIVE
android.permission.QUERY_ALL_PACKAGES
android.permission.FLASHLIGHT
android.permission.MOUNT_UNMOUNT_FILESYSTEMS
android.permission.RECEIVE_BOOT_COMPLETED
com.gov.mfa.permission.PROCESS_PUSH_MSG
com.gov.mfa.permission.PUSH_PROVIDER
android.permission.FOREGROUND_SERVICE_MEDIA_PROJECTION
com.huawei.appmarket.service.commondata.permission.GET_COMMON_DATA

and totally legitimate looking activities like com.tencent.rtmp.video.TXScreenCapture$TXScreenCaptureAssistantActivity , com.tencent.qcloud.logutils.LogActivity and com.tencent.liteav.audio2.permission.PermissionActivity

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  • [–] 29 points 1 year ago (5 children)

    I have entered the US around 10x/year and haven't being searched (I'm not saying it doesn't happen, tho), I've visited china multiple times last years and not been asked to install anything, either. Haven't heard about that app install requirement before, any articles about it?

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  • [–] 17 points 1 year ago (3 children)

    In around 2019 two of my colleagues were visiting China for business thing, one had Xiaomi phone and wasn't asked to do anything, another had Samsung and his phone was searched.
    It's an anecdote, so make of it as you will.

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  • [–] 13 points 1 year ago (2 children)

    Maybe they saw the phone and thought "ah, he's already covered."

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  • [–] 5 points 1 year ago

    It's not forced but the paper slip for immigration now is online, so it's this app or the mini app inside WeChat (or waiting a couple hours in the line for the clerk that basically signs up a WeChat for you and inserts your data in the MFA mini app)

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  • [–] 9 points 1 year ago (2 children)

    No they don’t. Customs in China is like 2 seconds of them glancing at your passport, looking at you, and stamping it. Literally the fastest I’ve ever got through an airport is in China, both arriving and leaving.

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  • [–] 2 points 1 year ago (1 child)

    Since 2023 they need you to fill the online immigration form online from this app or in a web app inside WeChat. If you don't have a phone, you can do an extremely long line to a kiosk where you essentially do the same.

    Immigration office then they want to see the qr code generated by that app, it can be a screenshot and you can generate it while abroad (they also wanted the legacy handwritten slip, maybe it was just for a temporary measure waiting for other ports to update)

    Source: I personally experienced it in Guangzhou airport

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  • [–] 9 points 1 year ago (4 children)

    android.permission.FLASHLIGHT

    *long slow stare* ...but WHY THOUGH?

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  • [–] 7 points 1 year ago

    After a quick analysis of the app it looks like used by an activity licensed by a japanese software house that shines it to see if it has a live person in front of the camera or a picture of it. The legitimate use of this in the app it's because you can apply to visa, passports and certificates remotely without the need of going to the embassy (you still need to go in person for identification though, as they don't really trust it)

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  • [–] 1 point 1 year ago

    Because he’s lying. I travel to China regularly and they don’t give a fuck about my phone. Not once have they done more than just glance at my passport, glance at me, and stamp it and send me on my way.

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