> They take the devices away for some period, but if they’re securely locked, TSA won’t be able to get anything from them.

It is well documented that there is no cell phone that cannot be unlocked.

And once it's unlocked, who knows what the real goal is. On the surface, one suspects that it's to examine its contents. But other possibilities include sideloading spyware, or even targeted viruses. Some random NGO secretary may not be the actual target, but could be the vector that allows a program to spread to one or more other targets within or without the organization.

I liked it better when this was the sort of thing that people on shortwave radio with tinfoil hats would rant about. Now it's almost weekly headlines in the NY Times, Guardian, WSJ, etc...