GrapheneOS Defends Data-Wiping Function That Blocked US Border Search
The GrapheneOS Foundation is standing firm after an activist used the OS's duress password to wipe his phone during a US Customs search. While federal agents indicted the user for destroying evidence, the developers assert their security features are legal and cannot be weakened. They emphasize that their encryption protects data even without resorting to destructive measures, leaving no way to recover the erased information.
GrapheneOS is completely legal. We have no obligation to weaken any of the security protections it provides.
- cdrnsf
The border agents didn't act in good faith, regardless of what they're empowered to do. They wanted the data for one reason and fabricated another to prompt the device search. The data they were interested in pertained to protest activity protected under the constitution but the lie they told was about something criminal. That anything within 100 miles of the border is constitution free tosses that out, I guess, but is extremely problematic on its own.
- mmastrac
The founding fathers would be aghast at what America became. Hard to imagine modern America passing some of those constitutional amendments that older America passed wayyy back.
- mingus88
This should be an interesting case in today’s legal climate
Obviously grafeneOS has no liability. But the owner of the device didn’t take the action to remove the data, the CBP officer entered it. We already have some precedent around being forced to give up your password.
How does that change if you are forced to give up a password that is destructive? What if the password works fine at home and the same password does a wipe based on location? Either way, the user complied, and did not take action to wipe their device.
- yardie
This is possibly the best advertising. GrapheneOS was kind of niche before. But if the US Government hates you then you're on the right track.
- pavel_lishin
The "agent entered password themselves, therefore they're to blame" seems as good of a logic as "I'm going to start swinging my arms and start walking forward, so if you don't move, it's YOU hitting YOURSELF".
- Magicrafter13
As a GrapheneOS user and a U.S. citizen that cares about the constitution, I fully support the actions taken by the individual
- Zak
This probably doesn't hold up legally, but it does hold up logically: if the reason a border search exemption exists is to prevent importation of material that is unlawful to import, wiping a storage device also fulfills that purpose.
- seethishat
It is illegal to lie to a police officer in the US. It's better to remain silent than to tell a lie. Giving a false PIN is a lie. And that by itself is a crime.
I'm not taking sides here, I just wanted to make that clear.
And you should understand that they can lie to you. That's OK and legal, but you cannot lie to them.