U.S. activist facing ‘entirely unprecedented’ charges after phone wiped during airport search
Prosecutors say the rare charge could test border-search powers and privacy tools, as defense lawyers argue the airport detention was unlawful.
- In early 2025, Atlanta activist Samuel Tunick faced federal charges after his Google Pixel phone wiped its data using a 'duress password' during a secondary interrogation by Customs and Border Protection at Hartsfield-Jackson airport.
- Federal authorities had placed Tunick on a terrorism watchlist due to his alleged association with the movement against Cop City, an Atlanta law enforcement training facility, according to legal motions.
- When officers demanded a passcode, Tunick provided a 'duress password' that irreversibly wipes the GrapheneOS-powered device, a feature the GrapheneOS Foundation says is designed to protect user data from extraction.
- Prosecutors charged Tunick under a statute criminalizing the destruction of government-seizable property, while his lawyers argue agents 'never read him his Miranda rights' and ignored repeated requests for legal counsel.
- Cybersecurity experts, including Electronic Frontier Foundation staff, warn the prosecution could set a precedent treating privacy-focused software as evidence of criminal intent, potentially expanding the 'Constitution-free zone' of border searches.
47 Articles
47 Articles
U.S. activist facing ‘entirely unprecedented’ charges after phone wiped during airport search
An American activist is facing prosecution for allegedly using Canadian software to wipe the contents of his phone during an Atlanta airport search in a case legal experts describe as 'troubling' and 'entirely unprecedented.'
Atlanta activist charged after using phone-wiping software during federal questioning
Sam Tunick has been accused of destroying evidence after using GrapheneOS to erase the contents of his device, but his defense argues the case is retaliation for his opposition to the construction of a police training center
Thinking of traveling to US? Wiping your phone at immigration could land you in trouble - here is how
A legal challenge by Atlanta activist Samuel Tunick over a CBP phone search at a US airport could reshape travellers' privacy rights at the border. The case has reignited debate over warrantless electronic device searches, constitutional protections, and what visitors and Americans should expect.
Feds Charge Atlanta Man Who Gave Border Agents ‘Self-Destruct’ Password For Phone
Feds Charge Atlanta Man Who Gave Border Agents ‘Self-Destruct’ Password For Phone A federal judge in Atlanta is weighing whether to throw out the evidence in what appears to be the first US prosecution of a traveler over a phone’s built-in “duress password” – a privacy feature that erases a device when the wrong code is entered. Samuel Tunick, an Atlanta resident and US citizen, was charged under 18 U.S.C. § 2232(a), which makes it a crime to d…
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