U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers have significantly increased searches of travellers’ electronic devices, with inspections of cellphones, laptops and other digital equipment rising more than 32 per cent during the first nine months of the 2026 fiscal year.
According to CBP data obtained by CBC News, border officials examined 52,080 electronic devices between October 1, 2025, and June 30, 2026, compared with 39,251 during the same period a year earlier.
The figures indicate that U.S. authorities are on track to surpass the record 55,424 electronic device searches conducted throughout the entire 2025 fiscal year.
Of the searches carried out during the first three quarters of fiscal 2026, approximately 47,517 were classified as basic inspections, which officers can conduct without reasonable suspicion of wrongdoing. Another 4,564 were advanced searches, involving more extensive examinations that may include copying or analyzing device contents when officers have reasonable suspicion of unlawful activity or national security concerns.
Despite the increase, CBP has declined to provide detailed information about where the inspections occurred, including how many took place along the Canadian and Mexican borders or at airports and land crossings.
The agency also did not disclose how many travellers entered the United States during the reporting period or how many searches involved American citizens compared with foreign nationals.
CBP spokesperson Jessica Turner maintained that electronic device searches remain uncommon, affecting approximately 0.01 per cent of travellers annually. She said the inspections help authorities identify digital contraband, terrorism-related material and information relevant to determining whether travellers can enter the country.
However, privacy advocates have raised concerns about the expanding use of these searches and the potential implications for civil liberties.
Esha Bhandari, director of the American Civil Liberties Union’s Speech, Privacy and Technology Project, called for stronger congressional oversight and greater transparency regarding the circumstances under which electronic devices are examined.
She said the lack of detailed government data makes it difficult to determine why searches are increasing or whether certain groups of travellers are being disproportionately targeted.
Bhandari also pointed to reports of travellers being questioned about their political views, written material and religious practices, raising concerns about how personal information may influence border inspections.
In January, CBP revised its electronic device search guidelines to explicitly include additional technologies such as smartwatches, USB drives, SIM cards, GPS equipment, drones and vehicle infotainment systems.
The updated rules also expanded the list of criminal activities that inspections are intended to detect, including drug and firearms smuggling, digital contraband and the international theft of proprietary information.
Bhandari argued that the changes were relatively limited and suggested that technological advances, combined with insufficient judicial restrictions, may be contributing to the rise in searches.
Meanwhile, Laura Dawson, executive director of the Future Borders Coalition, cautioned against drawing conclusions without more comprehensive data on traveller volumes and inspection locations.
She noted that increased international travel, including visitors attending the FIFA World Cup, may have influenced the figures. Dawson also pointed to growing cooperation between Canadian and American border agencies on security matters, including investigations involving human smuggling and organized crime.
While acknowledging public concerns, Dawson emphasized that electronic device inspections remain relatively rare compared with the overall number of border crossings.
Canadian border authorities, meanwhile, have generally conducted fewer electronic device searches than their American counterparts, with inspections declining in recent years.
The Canada Border Services Agency has not yet released its electronic device search statistics for 2026.
The rising number of U.S. inspections has renewed discussions about the balance between national security and personal privacy, particularly for Canadians travelling across the border with sensitive information stored on their electronic devices.
