Not quite. If you know or shouldreasonabley believe someone is about to arrest you or sue you, depending on the circumstances, judges can tell juries to assume the erased data would show something bad. But it depends on the details.

Be careful not to swallow your spit. They may think you're swallowing a bomb and shoot you on the spot.

i think it would have been different if he wiped it before he came through customs. he gave them the pin, which destroyed the data after it was requested. almost like the phone was boobytrapped.

personally i just try to delete most of my communication apps on the plane before i get back to the states (signal, lemmy, instagram...) in case they want to search my phone and get mad about a meme. (precident). i also try to offload as much as possible to selfhosted apps where applicable (rss reader, podcasts) so i can just log back in and have everything.

i dont know how far these searches can go, but id be worried about password managers and app store history too along with any account where you can just "log in with google" or whatever. once the device is unlocked and in their hands, they can have access to quite a bit of personal information.

i bet theyre just pissy this technology exists and are trying to make it illegal.

Not if you're given a Lawful Order (tm) to produce that material. Whether or not that material is incriminating is irrelevant.

~~They aren't but it is the same as if you have been accused of murdering some one and you burn the car you are accused of moving the body to the river in.~~

~~Edit: I am not saying i think its how i should work but its the logic behind it~~

I'm no lawyer, but I think that's called circumstantial(ly improbable). Try convincing a jury of that. 🥲