Border Forces – how barriers to free thought got tough

Index on Censorship magazine editors Jemimah Steinfeld and Rachael Jolley have been discussing the latest issue, which looks at border surveillance and its implications for free expression, in an interview with Resonance Radio. They talk about how journalists are being stopped at borders while travelling by officials demanding their social media passwords and access to their photographs, phones, laptops and other devices.

They ask whether any of us would want our personal information being scrutinised and maybe denying us access to certain countries – a particular problem for the LGBT community – and wonder if deleting certain information or leaving technology at home is the answer. But also under discussion was how this might lead to people feeling they couldn’t speak out or criticise governments.

And it’s not only physical borders that cause problems – ideas and art are also coming up against obstacles and even phone calls are restricted.

Tech journalist Geoff White also joins them to discuss how much information facial recognition technology can reveal about us – and how you can hide your account numbers but you can’t change your face.

What are the implications for free expression and for investigative journalism?