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Border agents are randomly seizing phones of US citizens who support Palestine (therealnews.com)
submitted 1 day ago by to c/privacy@programming.dev
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[–] 11 points 20 hours ago

Freedom of Speech^TM^*

*Terms and condition apply and are subject to change at any given moment and is enforced however we (the enforcers) like it. We can and will infringe on it but you may take legal action after our work is complete. You may be entitled to some compensation, which will come from the tax dollars, while we face no consequences, aren't held accountable and free to repeat it. Your case may also be used as a propaganda to show how we are the freeest country in the world.

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    [–] 69 points 1 day ago

    That sounds by definition not random.

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    [–] 9 points 1 day ago (1 child)

    Maybe backup your phone, wipe it, and restore it?

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    • [–] 22 points 1 day ago (12 children)

    https://grapheneos.org/ is waiting for its time to shine

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  • [–] 25 points 1 day ago* (last edited 22 hours ago) (3 children)

    You get arrested for wiping your phone at the border as we learned last month.

    For now people that need to cross the border should probably carry a travel phone and mail their real one.

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  • [–] 5 points 22 hours ago (1 child)

    I wonder if I'd get arrested if they run out of tries then it wipes itself, as opposed to providing a duress pin.

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  • [–] 9 points 22 hours ago

    I don't know..

    Over the years the courts have decided that LEOs can't force you to give your pin/password. The issue that wasn't really addressed is why US citizens lack certain rights in the grey zone between US and international territory.

    This all seems illegal but I'm not a laywer

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  • [–] 12 points 1 day ago (5 children)

    Some guy is currently facing federal charges for exactly that:

    Samuel Tunick is facing a federal felony after data on his Google Pixel was erased while Customs and Border Protection officers were trying to search the device at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. His attorneys are challenging the legality of the search, putting the government’s border search powers at the center of the criminal case.

    The encounter occurred on January 24, 2025, after Tunick returned to the United States from the Dominican Republic and was sent to secondary inspection. Federal officers sought access to his phone, and court records state that Tunick eventually provided a passcode. When an officer entered it, the screen went blank, flashed several times and appeared to restart. Prosecutors allege the phone’s contents had been deleted.

    A federal grand jury indicted Tunick in November 2025 under 18 U.S.C. § 2232(a). The law makes it a crime to knowingly destroy, damage or take other action against property for the purpose of preventing or interfering with the government’s lawful authority to take it into custody. A conviction can carry up to five years in prison.

    https://www.lawcommentary.com/articles/samuel-tunick-faces-federal-felony-after-phone-was-wiped-during-atlanta-airport-search

    https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/71998357/united-states-v-tunick/

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  • [–] 13 points 1 day ago (3 children)

    A federal grand jury indicted Tunick in November 2025 under 18 U.S.C. § 2232(a). The law makes it a crime to knowingly destroy, damage or take other action against property for the purpose of preventing or interfering with the government’s lawful authority to take it into custody. A conviction can carry up to five years in prison.

    This just smells like a techbro version of "arrested for resisting arrest".

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  • [–] 2 points 19 hours ago (2 children)

    How does a duress pin prevent them from taking the device into custody?

    And if you forgot you had a duress pin, hence weren't "knowingly" damaging anything, would that be a useful defense?

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  • [–] 2 points 7 hours ago* (last edited 6 hours ago) (1 child)

    I think the govt is just pissy that they couldn't plant any evidence.

    I'm all about owning my own devices, and have rooted every single Android device I've had over the years, but all of this is really making me want to go full Graphene. Locked bootloader and everything. Hell, even my wife installed Graphene on her Pixel after researching security options for it. I use Syncthing to back up everything I deem important to my NAS, so outside of a couple apps, I could confidently wipe my phone right now and have mostly everything restored within the hour...

    Fuck. I think I know what I'm doing this weekend.

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  • [–] 2 points 4 hours ago

    I installed Graphene last spring and went FOSS for all of my apps and don't use Google Services. Syncthing is amazing for backing up my phone data. I hardly have to think about it, other than to actually back it up from time to time to an unsynced drive so that I don't oopsie lose something. It's remarkable how much bullshit I avoid now.

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    • [+] -11 points 15 hours ago* (last edited 13 hours ago) (11 children)

    Maybe just stop support the dream about a genozid against jews.. Glory ukraine glory israel Fck this +15 palestine terror groups.

    1. Hamas.
    2. Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ).
    3. Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP).
    4. Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine (DFLP).
    5. PFLP General Command (PFLP-GC).
    6. Al-Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigades.
    7. Fatah.
    8. Palestinian Liberation Front (PLF).
    9. Abu Nidal Organization.
    10. Popular Resistance Committees (PRC).
    11. Palestinian Mujahideen Movement.
    12. Lion’s Den.
    13. Jaysh al-Ummah.
    14. Army of Islam (Jaysh al-Islam).
    15. Jund Ansar Allah.
    16. Tanzim.
    17. Harakat al-Sabireen.

    I bet you terror supporters are getting all wet down there. Just because you perversely and brutally want to commit genocide against Jews... Oh yeah, and then there are the supporters who just want to fuck kids... Or dream of having their own Aisha, etc. Perverted

    Palestinians are big fans of Hitler and his book Mein Kampf, which is also widely circulated and celebrated in Gaza.

    After all, in the past, they hunted down and massacred the Jews alongside the Nazis.

    The only good thing is that the vast majority of supporters would be slaughtered outright by Palestinians outside of a democratic system. Why do you think there are no gay men, lesbians, etc.? Because they would be beheaded or hanged—but killed in any case.

    Edit: People who downvote criticism of terrorist groups say it all about these enemies of democracy, who apparently harbor a deep-seated hatred for human rights and Jews. These terrorist supporters are disgusting.

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  • [–] 0 points 1 hour ago

    I am sure that you one day will realize that palestinians and israelians are people. With emotions and feelings. They are not evil, they just have their own point of view.

    But I do hope that Hamas and the Israelic government + IDF will understand what horrible things they have done to other humans and that they have to live with this the rest of their life.

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  • [–] 3 points 7 hours ago (8 children)

    bot accts gonna bot, huh?

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  • [–] -4 points 6 hours ago* (7 children)

    Of course I'm a bot—because I'm against anti-Semitism, because I'm against the glorification of Hitler, because I'm against terrorism against Israel, and because I don't side with the terrorists

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  • [–] 4 points 5 hours ago (6 children)

    how is being against israel a form of antisemitism? go on. tell me.

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  • [–] -2 points 4 hours ago* (5 children)

    Since you’re against Israel because it has been attacked by terrorists, because the narrative of a fake genocide is being spread while you support those who want to carry out a genocide against Jews, by working with precisely these people to destabilize and Islamize the entire West, etc., etc.

    Because all the facts are being ignored—such as the fact that Hitler is idolized in Gaza and that Mein Kampf is extremely widespread there, because the population in Gaza isn’t declining but increasing (so much for the “fake genocide”), because there is absolutely no criticism of the more than 15 terrorist groups, because no one is demanding that these terrorist groups lay down their arms—which would have ensured “peace” long ago—and because the constant attacks have been ignored not just for half a century, but for thousands of years, all the way back to the Twelve Tribes of Israel, etc. It’s pointless to discuss this with people who tend to sympathize with terrorist organizations. You'll only be happy once Palestine has achieved its goal of "Free Palestine = Kill Everyone in Israel"...

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  • [–] 3 points 3 hours ago* (last edited 1 hour ago) (3 children)

    Since you’re against Israel because it has been attacked by terrorists,

    It has already been proven the Israeli government funded this terrorist organization and was aware of the attack before it happened. It is theorized that Netanyahu used this to keep the heat off his corrupt dealings.

    https://www.timesofisrael.com/the-cost-of-netanyahus-consistent-evasion-of-responsibility-is-paid-in-lives/amp/

    because the narrative of a fake genocide

    Nothing fake about it.

    https://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2025/09/israel-has-committed-genocide-gaza-strip-un-commission-finds

    genocide against Jews, by working with precisely these people to destabilize and Islamize the entire West, etc., etc.

    This is the fake genocide you must be talking about. No evidence of a genocide being committed against the Jewish population in Israel.

    Because all the facts are being ignored—such as the fact that Hitler is idolized in Gaza

    There is no evidence, other than some translations of Mein Kampf found in some residences. The current president of the US, and Israel closest ally, is also known to have Mein Kampf by his bed side.

    because the population in Gaza isn’t declining but increasing

    Sure does look like their population is getting blown up.

    because there is absolutely no criticism of the more than 15 terrorist groups,

    Sure, no criticism.

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Criticism_of_Hamas

    but for thousands of years, all the way back to the Twelve Tribes of Israel, etc.

    I encourage you to read the actual history of the area.

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Israel

    The ridiculousness of your claim is borne out in this video made to poke fun at the ridiculous claims that the Jewish population has a legitimate claim to this area.

    https://youtu.be/-evIyrrjTTY

    You'll only be happy once Palestine has achieved its goal

    Oh gosh, what about Israel's goals of elimination of the Palestinians which they are currently doing.

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intent_and_incitement_in_the_Gaza_genocide

    Let's see a picture of a city in Israel to compare with Gaza.

    Hmm well the facts don't seem to support anything you are saying. Cheers!

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  • [–] -4 points 2 hours ago* (2 children)

    I'm not interested in this fake, lying crap. Go ahead and let propaganda incite you—and support terrorists. Hitler would be so incredibly proud of you—it's just sick and disgusting. Or are you dreaming of having your own Aisha? Glory ukraine glory israel Fakes = facts.. 🤣 Gaza looks destroyed—well, that’s normal—yet none of you criticize the terrorist groups that are holed up all over the place. No, you even cheer them on. Like I said, Hitler would be proud of you.

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