Vancouver was lovely. Might be as close as I'll ever get....
In general, you shouldn't decide whether to go to a place or not depending on how easy the visa situation is.
The (international) airports are something out of a dystopian novel. And the experience can vary wildly. I got the coolest agent ever at Atlanta – even after my fingerprints didn't match (consulate screw up), but that did cause me to miss my connecting flight.
On another trip, the guy in NYC was apparently pissed at his job and was very rude. But all my paperwork was in order.
Then you have a connecting flight, and you have to go through security again (but not border control), because the security areas are either not big enough or not properly planned.
I have not had to give up social media passwords. Is that a new thing?
Github is listed as an example social network.
Even if travelling to a third country you need to go through immigration, customs, re-check your bags and go through security to get to your connecting flight.
You cannot check your luggae through. A process, which is possible if you fly through virtually any other country.
I wonder what this costs US carriers. For example: Flying from Zurich to Lima would be logical, connection wise, via Miami, Atlanta, or even New York. But I rather fly via Amsterdam or Madrid to save myself the hassle and the anxiety of missing my connecting flight due to innane, unnecessary procedures.
As a Brit, I don't think you will encounter any difficulty entering United States.
https://nakedsecurity.sophos.com/2018/04/04/hand-over-your-s...
I've got no beef with US immigration other than hearing repeated horror stories over the years from moderately reputable sources.
I went into the US twice this year, received "random" secondary screening both times, but my laptop never left my sight, and they've never asked me anything about my online activity.
Of course, I would still advise everyone to prepare themselves in case it does happen. I personally followed EFF's recommendations that they gave during 34C3: https://media.ccc.de/v/34c3-9086-protecting_your_privacy_at_...
filling the ESTA form is an "awful hassle" now?
Well the world doesn't run on free phone apps, as an entry process ESTA is one of the easiest.
And btw the Brits should start preparing for longer lines when they get into mainland Europe
Even US citizens can be strongly encouraged (with threat of detainment) to turn over their electronic devices and surrender their passwords when crossing the border -- and remember, "the border" is legally defined as any location within 100 miles of a point of entry.
From https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2018/01/05/576139303...
> CBP agents inspected 30,200 phones and other devices during [fiscal year 2017].
Therefore, it does happen somewhat frequently.
> Officials stress that those searches represent just a tiny fraction of all arriving international travelers — .007 percent.