That's like saying Mexico isn't following EU use of burner phones. The Swiss are not part of the EU, so why are they being compared to them?
this post was submitted on 19 Apr 2025
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Because, while Switzerland is not part of the EU, it follows many of its regulations. Maybe even most of them.
In this particular case, I happen to know that the inofficial rule is indeed to have burner phones for travel into the us in some cases. But you're never supposed to have unencrypted data on your phone or laptop in any case.
Switzerland is not en EEA member (Norway and Iceland) and adopt EU regulations on a case by case basis. EEA members are obliged to adopt as default in national legislation, but have the option to decline, but it often comes with consequences.
There are some EFTA (Norway, Switzerland, Liechtenstein and Iceland) deal with the EU but no idea how that works.
Edit: But you are correct, Switzerland do follow most EU regulations.
Switzerland, however, seems to be taking a less confrontational approach. The message seems clear: Switzerland has no interest in provoking Washington.
WTF? Simply not taking your regular phone is "confrontational" and a provocation?!?
Switzerland has no interest in provoking Washington.
They're probably laundering Trump's ill-gotten gains.
Trump's fellow billionaires will soon need somewhere to hide their super profits. That's what Switzerland is all about.
Switzerland going the "appeasement" route with fascists, as per usual.
They have to store their gold somewhere
Everything is provocative if your dick is orange.
Not exactly a huge surprise as Switzerland is not part of the EU. I bet they don't follow India or Australia's government policies either! Such savages.
Switzerland has no shortage of cyber professionals, so either hardened and encrypted devices, or no one traveling with direct access to confidential data via their devices, likely both, is the obvious situation here.
Hardened and encrypted devices don't matter for shit when you're forced to unlock them. Not having direct access to confidential data like you proposed is much better. But better not even have a way of accessing it that could be detected.
Yes, and the Vienna Convention is what outlines that Swiss or any other country's diplomatic officials don't have to do that with work devices.
... What makes you think the US in its current state gives a single fuck about any convention, much less one named after the capital of another country? They're exploring ways to circumvent their own constitution so they could send dissidents to CECOT for "terrorism" even if they're citizens.
Mutually assured destruction.
The Vienna Convention is what the US uses constantly to keep their people insulated. Which is why there's a nice diplomatic line at Dulles, and no CBP officer would mess with a diplomatic passport holder from any county.
But hey, anything's possible anymore.
The Vienna Convention is what the US uses constantly to keep their people insulated.
Normally, yes. But at this point I wouldn't be surprised to see the orange oaf ignore it and then try to muscle other countries into still respecting it when American diplomats are on the line.
Hell, I'm hoping that won't happen. But personally, I'd be a bit skittish about traveling to the US right now as a diplomat. I'd also be very skittish about traveling to the US as a non-diplomat.
OK, well, when that happens you let me know. This is honestly such an unlikely thing.
So is slapping all your major trade partners with tariffs, but look what happened.
I'm not saying it's a certainty, but it's now a possibility that must be considered whereas previously it would've been unthinkable.
Is it? Obvious, I mean? To IT guys, sure. But I know from experience that IT guidelines are usually just another set of rules to be broken by users, most of the time on purpose or out of (willful) ignorance 😅
It doesn't help that plenty of places still follow old IT guidelines that are bad, so they all get lumped together. E.g. change password every 45 days, can't BT the last 10, must have 4 characters different, and we don't have a password manager.
Or even worse, password field doesn't work with paste.
Ad usual the Swiss government confirms itself as the most pathetic weak coward state in Europe, following a track record of "neutrality" in WWI, with the Nazis and now again with the us regime.
Remember: when shit hits the fan, good luck find sympathy with your neighbors.
An embarassing moment for all european countries and people who fought and died for democracy. 👏
Being neutral goes two ways.
Neutrality in the face of evil is indistinguishable from evil
Given the current state on the US arriving with a burner phone, or even a clean one, would at least get you interrogated, and at worst deported to Guantanamo. Better leave something innocuous on the phone that makes it look used.
My employer gives everyone in management a cell phone. At least once a quarter someone from management has to travel across the border to do site visits and the like. Most people will only carry the work phone when traveling because of CBP and TSA inspections.
That would look suspicious too...
Good way to plant false information imo. Say this is definately really your phone so that when they spy on you then you can feed them all kinds of nonsense.
Big mistake.
It doesn't mention what the current directive is. Swiss government – being common people doing a special job, compared to EU officials – are usually more practical in such things.
I wonder what they'd do if the phone refused to turn on and there aren't any ports to plug into.