The European Commission is equipping staff bound for the US with burner phones amid surveillance fears, the Financial Times reported on Monday.
New guidance issued by the EU executive – which also advocates the use of stripped-down computers on US trips – echoes that for travel to Ukraine or China.
All staff are advised to turn off their devices and place them in a dedicated anti-espionage sleeve upon entering the country, the FT report reads, citing Commission officials.
The Commission confirmed that the guidance had recently been updated, but did not comment on the specifics.
The EU’s negotiation with the Trump administration over its tariff war continues. The bloc’s trade chief, Maroš Šefčovič, is in Washington on Monday to meet his US counterpart Howard Lutnick.
Later this month, three other commissioners are due in Washington for meetings at the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank.
The US has reportedly seen a drop in tourist arrivals since Trump re-took office as some travellers have faced extra scrutiny at the border, including checks of phones and computers. In March, a French academic was refused entry after a check of his personal phone revealed messages that were critical of Trump’s policies.
(om)
