Activist charged with felony after giving border agent "duress code" that wiped his phone
An activist is facing federal charges after using a privacy feature on his phone to wipe data during a border interrogation. The case highlights the tension between border security powers and individual digital privacy rights.
Why it matters
The case challenges the extent of government authority to search electronic devices at borders and the legality of self-protecting digital data.
Swipe to delete Activist charged with felony after giving border agent “duress code” that wiped his phone The government says destroying his own data during an airport interrogation was illegal.
61 GrapheneOS is only supported on Pixel phones. Credit: Ryan Whitwam GrapheneOS is only supported on Pixel phones. Credit: Ryan Whitwam Text settings Story text Size Small Standard Large Width * Standard Wide Links Standard Orange * Subscribers only Learn more Minimize to nav In early 2025, Atlanta resident Samuel Tunick was on his way home following a trip abroad. After landing in the US, customs agents demanded access to his Pixel phone, which was running an alternative version of Android called GrapheneOS. Rather than hand over his data, Tunick used a clever feature of the software to delete everything. Now, he’s facing federal charges.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in