Nick Odell wrote
Rod Speed wrote
Brian Gaff wrote
This should all really be a thing of the past by now.
we should find some biometric way to do it instead.

We have already with fingerprints and iris scans.

The problems with biometric access - apart from the willingness
of some criminals to cut off a finger or gouge out an eye

Its completely trivial for the sensor to work out the finger or eye is still
alive.

- are to do with crossing borders of unfriendly states. For unfriendly,
you might even include your own, regardless of where you live. Most
civilised nations require some sort of judicial process to demand
a password but case law in the UK and elsewhere has determined
that there is no such protection for your biometrics. They can slam
your finger down on the screen and if the phone opens up, bingo!

Not if the phone has been designed so you can turn
that off before showing up at the border and need
the full passcode before it can be turned on again.

Most business travellers - those that aren't given
"clean" electronic devices by their companies for
their trips anyway are advised to disable the biometric
features of any device when using it abroad.

See above.

Here's The Register's guide to taking electronic devices to the US
https://www.theregister.co.uk/2017/0...n_entering_us/
be sure to read page 2.

Sure, but as it says, trivial to avoid that being a problem.