Over the past several months, the Committee to Protect Journalists has raised concerns over U.S. border agents’ use of secondary searches of journalists and their devices at U.S. borders, and government proposals to require travelers to hand over social media account passwords as a condition of entry to the U.S. That is why today CPJ joined with 29 organizations to launch the Fly Don’t Spy campaign. CPJ supports the rights of journalists to protect confidential information when traveling and is concerned about proposals that could undermine these values.
The FlyDontSpy.com website asks supporters to sign a petition calling on U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly to oppose any “password for entry” schemes. The campaign is an extension of the work CPJ has been doing over the past year related to visa issues for journalists and searches at borders. CPJ is committed to documenting and reporting on these cases and ensuring that journalists have the information they need to safely and securely cross international borders.