Yup...been there, done that! Even been detained for suspicion of being exposed to bomb making materials (but that's another completely exciting experience).
Not really sure, other than how many people have had the experience, you are trying to accomplish?
Can they do it? You bet!
Do you have to give them the password? Nope, but if you are a citizen or PR they can just impound your device and get a warranty to have checked later and if you are a foreign national they don't have to let you enter the country....they can just send you and your phone/laptop packing back home!
If you are unhappy about it, submit a complaint through official means....don't rant at the CBSA personnel doing their jobs. Immigration delays are bad enough without putting yourself in a position to be flagged by some CBSA worker you have just annoyed.
https://www.priv.gc.ca/en/privacy-t...rcement/your-privacy-at-airports-and-borders/
At border controls, Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) officers have widespread powers to stop and search people, and examine their baggage and other possessions including devices such as laptops and smartphones. Under Canada’s
Customs Act, these activities may be conducted without a warrant.
Canadian courts have generally recognized that people have reduced expectations of privacy at border points. In this context, privacy and other Charter rights continue to apply but are limited by state imperatives of national sovereignty, immigration control, taxation and public safety and security. To our knowledge, the Canadian courts have not yet ruled on whether a border officer can compel a person to turn over their password so that their electronic device may be searched at a border crossing.
While the law is unsettled, CBSA policy states that examinations of personal devices should not be conducted as a matter of routine; such searches may be conducted only if there are grounds or indications that “evidence of contraventions may be found on the digital device or media.”
If your laptop or mobile device is searched, it should be searched in line with this policy and you will likely be asked to provide your password. According to the policy, officers may only examine what is stored within a device, which includes, for example, photos, files, downloaded e-mails and other media. Officers are advised to disable wireless and internet connectivity, limiting access to any data stored external to the device, for instance, on social media or in a cloud. If you refuse to provide your password, your device may be held for further inspection.
