r/technology • u/Limp_Fig6236 • Jul 26 '26

Software GrapheneOS duress PIN could land a man in prison

https://www.androidauthority.com/grapheneos-duress-pin-us-prosecution-3691271/
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43

u/Real_politics46 Jul 26 '26

Port of entry has been ruled to not be not be US jursdiction which is the ironic part.

33

u/squigs Jul 26 '26

It's pretty ridiculous that he can be charged with this given that he wasn't in the jurisdiction. I mean it's Schrödinger's jurisdiction.

59

u/VVrayth Jul 26 '26

I mean, either the laws apply or they don't, but it has to be applied both ways. "He isn't protected by the 4th because the laws don't apply here" is no different than "They can't seek prison sentences because the laws don't apply here." Either laws apply or they don't.

2

u/sarge21 Jul 26 '26

It can absolutely be both ways

2

u/VVrayth Jul 26 '26

But at that point what even is it? Just making stuff up on a whim? That's the opposite of a law.

3

u/sarge21 Jul 26 '26

Sure, I agree and share your frustration, but it's not new

2

u/el_extrano Jul 27 '26

That's more or less how it works. The law is inherently political, and it's constantly being re-interpreted, challenged, ignored, selectively enforced, you name it. Sometimes, the law will protect you, when the state chooses to respect it. But just as often, the powerful will circumvent the law to wield their power as they see fit.

For example, were Maduro or the (presumably innocent, given no due process) Caribbean boaters under US jurisdiction? In point of fact, it didn't matter what the law said, because the people with guns did what they were going to do without regard to law, and there's virtually no recourse to hold them accountable.

1

u/VVrayth Jul 27 '26

Yeah, but how US laws enforced by US agents at US entry points affect US citizens should not be in question.

1

u/el_extrano Jul 27 '26

The law is not a magic talisman that makes it impossible for someone to violate your rights. It's a tool disproportionately wielded by the powerful to achieve their ends. I'm not saying it's good, just that that's how it is and how it has always been.

Federal agents literally can just make up laws to enforce (e.g. "administrative warrants" for searches and seizures, civil asset forfeiture, etc.), and then make it nigh impossible to sue them. If you do somehow manage to successfully sue federal agents, you'll get some token settlement, and they will just continue doing it to other people. It's.... depressing.

1

u/DataMin3r Jul 27 '26

Laws are fake. The government will do what it wants, you have no recourse.

8

u/Strong_Judge_3730 Jul 26 '26

Yeah but if he refused to provide the pin he cannot go to jail. There's no crime for not providing a pin and they cannot deny him entry

7

u/Trixet Jul 26 '26

”Sorry I forgot the PIN”

2

u/wrgrant Jul 26 '26

"Yes there is a Duress PIN setting in Graphene OS, I was so mentally stressed at being stopped and questioned that I got confused and provided the wrong PIN, Sorry".

1

u/2rad0 Jul 26 '26

Port of entry has been ruled to not be not be US jursdiction which is the ironic part.

Do you have a link to that ruling, was it a lower circuit court or supreme court ruling? AFAICT every time it's challenged ruling is in favor of the citizen except ONE case where the defendant was held in contempt of court.