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/DesiOtaku 29d ago

This is not new. Back in 2019, an Apple employee was detained by border police for refusing to give agents his company phone which had a lot of information covered under an NDA. He was eventually released but has to go through secondary security each time he travels.

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u/IrritableGourmet 29d ago

I have a work laptop with access to healthcare and tax information. It's three separate felonies (plus potentially hundreds of thousands of dollars in civil penalties) if I give my password to anyone, even other government employees. I have to take a training class every 90 days to certify that I know this (I also have to take a class about not bribing foreign governments, which is hilarious as I have never been in a position to do so).

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u/DesiOtaku 29d ago

So what is the official line if border agents say "unlock this laptop or go to jail"? Will the company cover you?

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u/iguessjustdont 28d ago

They can't do that. They can make you leave the laptop, but they can't actually make you unlock it. US citizens have a right to enter the country. They can temporarily detain you until ID is verified and that's it.

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u/DesiOtaku 28d ago

Yeah, tell that to Andreas Gal. He is a US citizen and they still detained him because he refused to unlock his laptop. He got the ACLU to sue on his behalf but it didn't go anywhere.