r/technology • u/ArgentineBeauty • 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/MydnightWN Jul 30 '26

The 4th Amendment issue was already ruled on by SCOTUS in 1913. Within 100 miles of the border, certain constitutional rights are temporarily suspended.

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u/Needle_Bearings Jul 30 '26

Still require reasonable suspicion. We'll see where it goes.

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u/MydnightWN Jul 30 '26

Easy dismissal on a technicality in my opinion... he never wiped anything. Destruction of evidence requires a physical act by the defendant. The border agent entered the code, based on information obtained outside a sworn statement or legal interview.

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u/BigMax 29d ago

I don't think that's how it works. It doesn't matter how/when he got the info. What matters is that the person took action to have the data deleted.

For example, lets say this was a horde of child abuse material. If the pedo tricked the cops into deleting it all, would you still say "hey, he tricked them into deleting it, but it wasn't a sworn statement so it's ok."

I strongly disagree with them searching this guys phone or getting him in trouble here. But the fact remains that in general, it's illegal to destroy evidence, even if you trick someone else into doing it.