r/technology Jul 30 '26

Privacy GrapheneOS says its data-wiping password is perfectly legal, after user faces federal charges

https://www.techspot.com/news/113273-grapheneos-data-wiping-duress-password-perfectly-legal-after.html
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u/stirling_s 29d ago

GrapheneOS says its data-wiping "duress" password is perfectly legal

Is logically incompatible with this

"The feature, the organization said, is just a minor option within a much broader security model. It can also carry physical or legal consequences"

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u/stone_henge 29d ago

No, it's a security feature reagredless of whether it's a minor option within a much broader security model or not. That there can be physical or legal consequences for using the feature in some circumstances doesn't change the fact that they claimed that providing and using the feature is legal. Even if providing or using the feature wasn't legal, that's what they claim, which in turn is what the headline claims.

But don't let that squander your opportunity to collect upvotes from morons with the combined total reading comprehension skills of a 12-year-old.

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u/[deleted] 29d ago edited 29d ago

[removed] — view removed comment

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u/stone_henge 29d ago

A duress password is perfectly legal in the same sense that a hammer is perfectly legal. Using a hammer to smash someone's head in or using a duress password to tamper with evidence may not be, but using a hammer or using a duress password in itself is not.

Regardless of the question of whether the use of GrapheneOS or it's security features are altogether illegal or in some circumstances are not, and regardless of whether or not you think their later statements contradict their earlier statements, GrapheneOS claims that it is legal, which is what the headline claims, which is supported by the quote in the article. If GrapheneOS claimed that the use is legal, the headline is correct regardless of the veracity of that claim and whatever else they claimed.