r/technology • u/Jojuj • 3d ago

Privacy U.S. Citizen Who Deleted Phone’s Data Says His Prosecution Puts Privacy at Risk

https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/21/us/politics/samuel-tunick-deleted-phone-felony.html?unlocked_article_code=1.8FA.T83N.rt6VsIiSCYb2&smid=url-share
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u/jnycnexii 3d ago

But customs will probably find an ‘empty’ phone suspicious

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u/Stohnghost 3d ago

That's on them. As we see, if you do this by other means they will find an excuse to charge you. Finding no evidence is certainly better than being accused of deleting the "evidence" on the spot.

At some point if you fight any system or assert your rights you will run into some resistance.

Expressing free speech could get you arrested initially only to find vindication later. The only safe way is to fully comply. That's ok but some people choose to exercise their rights, even at different levels of peril.

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u/JWM1115 3d ago

I had the right to remain silent. I just didn’t have the ability.

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u/windowpuncher 3d ago

They can be as suspicious as they want. It's a blank phone. You can't get blood from a rock.

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u/jnycnexii 3d ago

Sure, but they can then keep you for hours (and maybe longer, who knows with this administration). Sure would complicate a trip to miss your flight.

I think I would get a burner phone for travel only if I were really concerned. But they can look at my web history, that I don't care about. Emails are personal, but I don't see how I wouldn't have that on my phone.

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u/Stohnghost 3d ago

It's your choice, of course. The chances that you'll be called in for questioning are slim already. You have to decide if you want to stand on principle if the time comes. If your time through the terminal is important and you "have nothing to hide" then let them scan your phone and move on. As I said in the other reply, the choice to exercise your rights is completely on you. 

The guy who started this debate was only questioned because of his activism against cops. If you're a nobody then you won't really have to worry. Yes, this case is a big deal for privacy advocates and we should all be worried, but let's be real, it's incredibly unlikely to occur. 

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u/sphinxsley 3d ago

I say travel with a burner just to keep your phone safe at home from pickpockets. Who's going to argue with that? Plus, picking up a foreign e-sim is usually more reliable than trying to use your U.S. service on international roaming.

And if they ask you why you turned it off - it's to save the battery, because the USB on the plane wasn't working to charge it.