cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/49853131

Feels to me like GrapheneOS did exactly what it should, passing the US border test with flying colours!

Funny part about this lawsuit: “With a little planning ahead of time, you can always download the data you need once you get to where you’re going,”

  • MonkderVierte@lemmy.zip
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    5 hours ago

    claimed they did not need a warrant to search Tunick’s phone because he had not yet crossed the U.S. border.

    Also no right to search / seize his phone then. US law doesn’t apply on non-US soil.

    • elucubra@sopuli.xyz
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      5 hours ago

      If it’s not US soil, it’s not a detention, it’s a rendition, a kidnapping.

      Also, I don’t know how citizenship works I this respect in the US, but in my country a citizen cannot be denied entry. It can be detained upon entering, but by then you are in sovereign soil.

  • jas [they/any]@lemmy.blahaj.zone
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    15 hours ago

    this was a streisand effect for me because i didn’t have duress password set up on my grapheneos phone (security & privacy => device unlock) before but i do now! :D

    • obvs@lemmy.world
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      2 hours ago

      On GrapheneOS, you can also set a “second factor PIN” in the unlock settings under “Fingerprint Unlock”, so that to unlock your screen you need to first use the fingerprint unlock and then separately enter your PIN. This means BOTH are required every time you unlock. Your phone can’t be unlocked unless it’s your finger AND unless you enter the PIN that only you know.

      And under the Screen Lock settings you can also enable “Scramble PIN input layout”, so that the number buttons on your unlock screen will be out of order, so people watching you or recording you can’t just make note of the shape your index finger is making when touching the numbers to unlock your phone(like people looking over your shoulder or recording on store security cameras).

      • volore@scribe.disroot.org
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        14 hours ago

        I imagine the best duress PIN is something you’d actually see a “normal” person set as a PIN, like their birth year or something innocuous and easy to remember (and easily believed by whoever’s demanding your PIN), while their real PIN would be longer or more abstract.

        • ITGuyLevi@programming.dev
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          34 minutes ago

          Sounds dumb to give it out, but mine is my normal 8-digit pin, just backwards. It’s easy to remember and seems like a legitimate PIN.

        • Pika@sh.itjust.works
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          7 hours ago

          Honestly I would use a stupid basic one that someone might try and use if they were guessing. Like a duress pin of 1-1-1-1, 1-2-3-4 or 2-4-6-8. It gets the people who take the device and then try and break into it without your permission as it’s almost certain they will at least try one of those three.

          Worst case scenario they ask you and you say what it is and they give you a blank stare of “really?..” it’s not like they wouldn’t try a pin you gave them.

    • Strider@lemmy.world
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      7 hours ago

      I lost interest of ever visiting again when they started collecting fingerprints from everyone visiting.

        • Strider@lemmy.world
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          2 hours ago

          Ages… You young ones… (decades, yes)

          Locally I am okay with it (possibly not having a choice anyway) but you got shafted post 9/11. So I was there a few times before that.

          I can travel freely in the EU.

          • Valmond@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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            2 hours ago

            Decades is ages for most human beings 😁

            I’m not an American but yeah that bs sure creeped over here after 2001.

            Edit: you still need an ID (like a passport) to travel in the EU, it’s just that no one cares if you don’t take the plane or go to sweden.

            • bufalo1973@piefed.social
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              22 minutes ago

              You can go from Portugal to Poland with your country’s ID… And don’t be required to show it anywhere.

            • Strider@lemmy.world
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              60 minutes ago

              I have my Personalausweis and Reisepass but sometimes don’t even need it when being checked in, depending from which country to which. It’s strange sometimes.

              Ah yes I actually had to look up the definition of ages with the translation. For me it subjectively differs in the meaning with the German translation so you’re right, it just means a long time. For me ages is more akin to ancient 😁 so I might need to rectify that.

  • just_another_person@lemmy.world
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    17 hours ago

    Perfectly legal. Unless they were legally charged and ordered by a court to preserve data considered to be used in a crime, they can’t be charged with shit. Cops don’t dictate this, courts do, AND that scope only applies to an active prosecution anyway.

    • Sinax@lemmy.world
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      14 hours ago

      Legality seems to be a fairytale concept in the USA, except for oligarchs. They get full legal coverage.

    • chillpanzee@lemmy.ml
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      13 hours ago

      Perfectly legal. Unless they were legally charged and ordered by a court to preserve data considered to be used in a crime, they can’t be charged with shit. Cops don’t dictate this, courts do, AND that scope only applies to an active prosecution anyway.

      I’m not a lawyer, so I’m not arguing that you’re wrong here, but the article describes the federal law the journalist was charged with. It seems very broad, and it’s a bullshit law, but from what’s here, it seems more grey area than perfectly legal. All of 2232 seems to require knowledge (which it seems like he had, but might be arguable) and action. You could argue that the journalist didn’t take any affirmative action to wipe the phone. The action that wiped it was the feds entering a code.

      • just_another_person@lemmy.world
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        12 hours ago

        Yeah, you’re wrong in a number of different ways. No, you’re not a lawyer.

        What you linked to is precedent par notice. Every single subordinate literally mentions notice.

        A law enforcement officer of ANY type is not able able to issue that notice.

    • CompactFlax@discuss.tchncs.de
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      15 hours ago

      There’s a bunch of legislation and case law saying that searches are OK within x (50?) miles of a border crossing which covers something like 90% of the population because they count international airports.

      So it might get sticky for the person.

      • just_another_person@lemmy.world
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        15 hours ago

        Search is not the same thing. Search means they CAN legally search. It absolutely does mean that wiping your phone prevented, obstructed, or obscured a SEARCH. Search all you fucking want, that data is gone. It’s not retroactively comparable.

        That being said, had there been a judge that said “You can’t wipe your phone, because you are being charged with a crime, and we believe there is evidence of this crime on your phone, and here is why…”

        Way different, and these laws only exist to prevent law enforcement from being caught in a cyclical legal roundabout in court related to the 4th amendment, and even then, many defense lawyers get “gray area” material data evidence thrown out because of Miranda Rights, or illegal searches by law enforcement of data harvested when the defendent was not properly advised or advocated for their ability to refuse.

        Murderers get off for this shit because Cops get overzealous and don’t follow the letter of the law or chain of custody in evidentiary collection.

        • Zen_Shinobi@lemmy.world
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          14 hours 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.”

          “When Tunick provided his passcode and the authorities entered it, “the screen went blank, flashed several times and the phone appeared to restart.” The authorities seized his phone anyway, before telling him that he was free to go and could enter the United States.”

          • just_another_person@lemmy.world
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            12 hours ago

            Yes, and only JUDGES are able to make that determination.

            There is no stature in Federal or State law that says this is a crime, and no superceded precedent for this.

            • Zen_Shinobi@lemmy.world
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              1 hour ago

              No it can be police that charge.

              My state 100% has this law and police charge suspects for this.

              ORC 2921.12 Tampering with evidence.

              (A) No person, knowing that an official proceeding or investigation is in progress, or is about to be or likely to be instituted, shall do any of the following:

              (1) Alter, destroy, conceal, or remove any record, document, or thing, with purpose to impair its value or availability as evidence in such proceeding or investigation;

              (2) Make, present, or use any record, document, or thing, knowing it to be false and with purpose to mislead a public official who is or may be engaged in such proceeding or investigation, or with purpose to corrupt the outcome of any such proceeding or investigation.

              (B) Whoever violates this section is guilty of tampering with evidence, a felony of the third degree.

              • just_another_person@lemmy.world
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                45 minutes ago

                In your Section A right there: “official proceeding”

                There was no crime in progress, suspicious activity, or active charges brought against this person.

                Maybe reread the article.

                Also, Police do not bring charges, Prosecuting Attorneys do. Police are only responsible for investigations and arresting. Everything else is cleared by the legal system first.

    • Zen_Shinobi@lemmy.world
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      14 hours ago

      It depends. If the police suspect the owner has evidence of some sort on the phone, destroying it can lead to a tampering with evidence charge from the police.

      A tampering charge doesn’t have to be from a court order. If someone eats or dumps out drugs where the police can’t collect the physical drug, it will stick.

      But in the story’s case, it falls within the 100 miles of the US boarder (called a boarder search exception) a warrant, probable cause, or RAS aren’t needed here. It’s considered a reasonable search so the 4th amendment is limited here.

      There is a lot to it and really don’t think this is the best format for it here.

      • just_another_person@lemmy.world
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        12 hours ago

        It does not depend. 4th amendment is superceded by any state law, and it’s SUPER clear that unless a crime has been committed and prosecutorial procedures are in place, no search or seizure is legal.

        That’s the whole point.

        • Zen_Shinobi@lemmy.world
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          2 hours ago

          It’s a federal law. It’s been legal since the constitution was written. There have been numerous court hearings stating it’s legal.

          You might want to reread the 4th again. The supreme court has ruled international boarder crossing as a reaonable search, thus no warrant, RAS, or PC needed.

          • just_another_person@lemmy.world
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            43 minutes ago

            Again…you can SEARCH all you want. Whether you find anything is not mandated.

            I’m not sure what’s so hard to understand about this.

  • db2@lemmy.world
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    16 hours ago

    Good. Annoying to rebuild his phone, but better than handing it to fascists who don’t even have a lawful court order for it.

    • ITGuyLevi@programming.dev
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      25 minutes ago

      Surely he was also using the built in backup feature, if he was he would have been able to grab another used Pixel, install GOS, then just recover from his backup (I haven’t tried the restore yet just because I’m lazy, fingers crossed it works).

    • BrianTheeBiscuiteer@lemmy.world
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      15 hours ago

      In all likelihood they kept his phone and will retain possession until charges are dismissed. Get a burner phone and wipe it before going through security. I assume if they see your phone is “fresh” they’ll take it on suspicion anyway.

    • tabular@lemmy.world
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      15 hours ago

      Would you want the phone back after it’s been in their hands? I wouldn’t trust them to leave it alone.

      • eleitl@lemmy.zip
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        29 minutes ago

        GOS has boot attestation. But yeah, if I would travel to the US (I will no longer do that) I would bring a sacrificial device.

      • metallic_z3r0@infosec.pub
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        13 hours ago

        I mean yeah, might be a fun reverse-engineering project to look for any backdoors or other modifications to the device.

  • Dharma Curious (he/him)@slrpnk.net
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    14 hours ago

    I may be about to move to a town near the border, and I fully plan on visiting Mexico as frequently as I can. It’s one of the things I’m most excited about about moving there.

    I will 100% be getting a second cheap phone, and only taking that when I cross the border.