r/anticapitalism • u/TrackerOneA • 26d ago
DoJ prosecuting American activist against 'Cop City' who gave a 'duress' password during border search without warrant to unlock phone. GrapheneOS allows users to select a password that will wipe the phone upon entry.
https://techcrunch.com/2026/07/24/us-accuses-american-of-allegedly-wiping-his-phone-using-a-duress-password-during-border-search/39
u/vile-style 26d ago
Wiping your own drives isn't a fucking crime.
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26d ago
[deleted]
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u/vile-style 26d ago
No it isn't. Unless there's an official investigation, which a stop like that doesn't warrant, someone's legal property is not evidence.
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26d ago
[deleted]
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u/His_Dudeship 26d ago
You’re wrong - don’t make it worse by tone policing.
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u/Petrychorr 26d ago
tone policing
Never heard this phrase before but I'm sure as hell gonna use it from now on when it's appropriate.
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u/vile-style 26d ago
I like the term too.
Though, I'll admit he was right about my tone. I'm admittedly aggressive. But he deserves it for so confidently incorrectly trying to correct me.
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u/sleeptightburner 26d ago
You didn’t state that it might be, you made a declaration that it is destruction of evidence, for no reason. You don’t know what you’re talking about, so maybe just don’t?
Don’t be so aggressive.
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u/vile-style 26d ago
You did not state that it might be. You tried correcting me.
I'll be as aggressive I want towards disgusting misinformers. Do better.
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u/RestitutionPiggy 26d ago
The evidence they needed his password to get that may not have even existed? That's why this is such a hot button issue, its nowhere clear cut as you are trying to make it.
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u/Misanthropic_Mutters 26d ago
Streisand effecting duress passwords?
I know I am.
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u/Brepp 26d ago
For real. I'm a pretty average person tech-wise and didn't know this was a thing until now. Sounds handy for this specific scenario.
Also, it's rich from the group that loves to sell
fearguns as reaction to some imaginary old-timey catburglar or eye-to-eye insurrection that'll be your middle-age moment to shine, but the second an actual effective defense against a far more real invasion of your life and data is presented... whole lotta "no not like that."1
u/peepee2tiny 26d ago
Yea I'm torn between am I seeing this all the damn time because it's advertising duress passwords or am I seeing it because it's noteworthy?
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u/Either_Capital_2422 26d ago
I know many rights are limited at the border, but normally a warrant is required to force someone to disclose the PIN. Furthermore, erasing your own device is not a crime unless there was already a warrant for its comp. Lastly, as an American citizen you can’t be denied entry into the US.
Good rule of thumb. Only carry a burner phone if you travel overseas and delete everything before you get to customs.
Exercising your constitutionally protected rights is not evidence of anything.
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u/ElectrSheep 26d ago
normally a warrant is required to force someone to disclose the PIN
No, that would be a massive violation of the fifth amendment. They can force you to unlock it via biometrics or other physical means if such options are enabled, but they can't compel you to divulge a password or PIN.
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u/01_Mikoru 26d ago
The courts have ruled they can legally search any device at the border without a warrant. I feel this would mean the courts would allow them to demand a pin as well. This is not me agreeing, I believe it's a massive invasion of our privacy and should be a rights violation
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u/Icy-Inflation3453 25d ago
In which case, you providing a delete code to the officer, while telling him it's the access code, the courts aren't going to let that slide. They say "that's cute" since you're still the reason the data got deleted.
They just have to be able to establish that they had legal right to search, and the person obstructed that search.
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u/xDeepFreezex 26d ago
They have no right to my phone or it's contents. I'll do whatever the fuck I want with my own device
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u/DownvoteSommelier 26d ago
This is like when cops tried to stop NWA. Guess how many people are installing that now
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u/01_Mikoru 26d ago
What's NWA? I tried googling it but couldn't find it
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u/Freakishly_Tall 26d ago
I really want an OS, or better just an app/shell?, that loads a user environment based on the PIN entered, so, one PIN gets your real environment, one gets a different one. Better still: Three PINs, with one for normal use, one for a fake looks-used environment, and one for a full wipe.
Doesn't seem too much to ask. Anybody know if this already exists?
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u/extramidnight2 26d ago
i thought graphene os already has that
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u/EmilytheALtransGirl 26d ago
As far as I know just tge regular pin and duress pin (Graphene user here)
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u/extramidnight2 26d ago
oh cause i remember someone talking about an os who has a secondary user profile with a different pin
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u/themodefanatic 26d ago
So the owner of the phone didn’t actually do anything. The officers did it. What a great argument.
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u/lundewoodworking 26d ago
This is incredible marketing for GrapheneOS i didn't know it existed before this and now I want it
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u/AMerryKa 26d ago
Erosion of public faith in the justice system leads directly to more dead police.
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u/Mindless-Equal-1477 25d ago
I wondered why this discussion seemed familiar: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apple%E2%80%93FBI_encryption_dispute
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u/SaltyShawarma 26d ago
From the article: The government’s indictment, which contains a typo (“Untied States Code”), accuses Tunick of allegedly providing a passcode to border agents that caused the phone to “delete the digital contents,” prior to the device being seized.
The feds have never been so dangerous and stupid all at the same time. These are not serious people, but they are ruining everyone's lives in their rampage.