Felony charges for citizen deleting phone data at US Border (nytimes.com)

Article summary

A US citizen, Samuel Tunick, is facing felony charges for deleting phone data at a US border. The citizen had provided a duress PIN to a border official, which triggered the deletion of data on the phone. The phone was using GrapheneOS, an operating system focused on security and privacy. The exact charge against the citizen is not specified in the available information.

Main themes

• duress PIN
• data deletion
• GrapheneOS
• border security
• privacy and security
• legal implications

What commenters say

• Implementing a duress PIN that deletes existing data or creates a fake profile could be useful in certain situations, but it raises concerns about reliability and potential legal consequences.
• Reliably deleting data requires setting it up to be reliably deleted later on by having it encrypted on storage with keys that can be reliably prevented from ever being obtained again.
• A duress PIN that only hides certain things would require users to choose what data to prioritize, and could potentially leave behind traces of deleted data.
• Having a secondary profile or a 'dead man's switch' could be a viable alternative to deleting data, allowing users to present a sanitized version of their phone to authorities.
• The use of GrapheneOS and similar security-focused operating systems may attract unnecessary attention from authorities, potentially leading to legal issues.
• The effectiveness of a duress PIN or similar feature depends on its ability to balance security and plausible deniability, without arousing suspicion from authorities.
• The legal implications of using a duress PIN or similar feature are unclear, and may depend on the specific circumstances and jurisdiction.
• The development of such features should prioritize reliability, security, and user choice, while also considering potential legal and social consequences.