[cryptonector]

> If I'm not in front of a tribunal, formerly accused of committing/attempting to commit a crime, who are you to check my private chats?

CBP in the U.S. and equivalents pretty much everywhere deny foreigners the right to privacy. Heck, even in the U.S. the Fourth Amendment is taken to not apply at the border and ports of entry (and within 100 miles of any such, including the coasts!!). I too think that's quite a stretch, but that's how it is, and not just in the U.S.

I think there have been cases of CBP refusing entry to people who didn't even have smartphones with them.

So I agree that it is a privacy problem.

However given that we all have very little privacy when entering a country (even our own) the contents of this researcher's messages is relevant to deciding whether CBP acted reasonably even though we might say (I do) that CBP should never ask to see your communications without probable cause that you've committed or intend to commit a crime.