As if traveling wasn't bad enough already, newly enforced rules at the airport could have you handing over your phone...and password.

NBC News recently reported on several instances where people traveling internationally were asked to turn over phones and passwords to U.S. Customs & Border Protection agents.

None of the travelers who say this happened to them were on terrorist watch lists, many were actually naturalized American citizens and they were all different ages.

The only similarities were their stories of being held for hours as CBP agents searched their phones (including their social media accounts) and that they were all Muslim.

And phones searches are increasing rapidly.

In 2015 there were just 5,000 phones searched, in 2016...25,000!

I honestly can't see how searching someone's phone is keeping anyone safer.

Maybe someone working with CBP or at an airport in general can help shed some light on this for me, but what does looking into someone's social media accounts or scanning through someone's cell phone doing exactly?

Why are people being asked to turn over their phones? What at these border patrol agents looking for and why are they looking so hard for it now?

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