[tunareter]

For those who aren't US citizens, the advice in that article is absolutely terrible.

Refuse to cooperate and you'll be on the next flight to whatever CBP deem is your home, and good luck ever getting an ESTA or Visa in future.

[tomalpha]

This is really worth emphasising. US CBP officers have wide latitude in denying you entry to the US if you're a visitor. This is especially true for visitors on the Visa Waiver/ESTA program as the reciprocal part of that waiver is you waiving any rights to appeal the decision of the CBP officer who makes the decision.

If you are refused entry under the program for any reason you can't ever use it again and will have to apply for a visa proper.

So you can try and quote laws and rights and not hand over your password, but they're likely to simply refuse you entry. They might well keep the laptop/phone/device too.

[rimliu]

  > and good luck ever getting an ESTA or Visa in future

Would you want one after this anyway?

[tunareter]

Maybe your employer has offices there.

Maybe you have relatives there.

Maybe you have clients there.

Or conferences, or other professional events.

Maybe you are even resident there.

[dbbk]

Maybe you just want to go to Disneyland.

[letsgetphysITal]

Whether Disney World is worth paying for with your dignity and privacy is a decision each person must make. Further, Disney now harvest biometrics for their ticketing. Noooooooope.

[sokoloff]

Disney has an opt-out process for the fingerprint scan. (I'm not saying that to excuse their default stance, which I do find uncomfortable.)

[xxs]

Even the Museum of Natural History in New York is a good attraction. There is no need to consider the US horrid or anything alike based on the ridiculous border policy.