Samuel Tunick, an Atlanta activist, faces federal felony charges after using a duress code on his GrapheneOS-powered Pixel to wipe data during a U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) phone inspection at the border. The case highlights tensions between privacy tools and government authority at international checkpoints, with allegations that Tunick was targeted due to his activism against a law enforcement training facility.
Background
U.S. Customs and Border Protection routinely searches electronic devices at borders under broad legal authority, often without warrants or probable cause. This case tests the limits of such practices when users employ privacy-focused software like GrapheneOS to resist data access.
- Source
- Ars Technica
- Published
- Jul 27, 2026 at 11:58 PM
- Score
- 8.0 / 10