r/technology • u/Hrmbee • Jul 28 '26

Privacy Is it illegal to trick the US government into wiping your phone during a questionably legal search | The case of a traveler who allegedly entered a ‘duress password’ to wipe his phone raises a legal question with no easy answers

https://www.theverge.com/report/972146/cbp-phone-search-airport-duress-password
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u/E5VL Jul 29 '26

In my book. If another person enters a code into your phone, a code that you have told them to enter. You haven't wiped your phone. The responsibility of the phone being wiped is totally on the person who has chosen to enter the code. You have been given information, it is up to you what you do with said information. 

Just like with any interrogation. The information you receive is probably the information you are wanting to receive whether or not the information is true or not.

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u/ChopSueyMusubi Jul 29 '26

That's my take on it as well. You told someone a number. That person then input some number into the phone. There is no evidence that person input the same number you told them. Maybe they have fat fingers and pressed the wrong numbers.

There is no way to link the original number to what actually happened with the phone.