AMA with TechCrunch Security Editor Zack Whittaker & Security Researcher Runa Sandvik (Border Searches, Device Security)
Don’t miss the AMA with Zack Whittaker, security editor at TechCrunch, and Runa Sandvik, security researcher and founder of Granitt.
During the session, we will learn about the American charged with a felony for wiping his phone at the border, device security, and how to protect your data when you travel.
Zack recently reported on the case of Sam Tunick, an Atlanta man facing a federal felony charge after U.S. border agents claimed he handed over a password that wiped his phone during a search at the airport.
His phone was running GrapheneOS, which lets users set a “duress” password that wipes the device when entered. Prosecutors say triggering that built-in feature amounts to destroying property to prevent its seizure by the government.
This is believed to be the first U.S. case of its kind involving a duress password. It raises important questions about what happens when using a security feature is treated as a crime, and what constitutional and legal rights Americans have at the U.S. border.
Read the reporting: TechCrunch, plus coverage from 404 Media and The Guardian.
Guest Credentials:
Zack Whittaker, security editor at TechCrunch and author of the weekly cyber newsletter this.weekinsecurity.com, who broke the story on the Tunick case.
Runa Sandvik, security researcher who works with journalists and at-risk people through her consultancy Granitt. She has spent years helping journalists and activists protect their devices, data, and sources, including at the border, and has weighed in on how novel and consequential this case is.
Ask Them Anything About
Why this prosecution involving GrapheneOS will be closely watched by privacy advocates and civil liberties defenders, and what it could mean as a precedent
Border searches of phones and your rights when crossing
Duress passwords vs. device wiping, and the tradeoffs of these features
How journalists and activists protect devices and sources
Practical steps anyone can take to secure their data before they travel
How they research and report on security, privacy, and surveillance stories
…anything else on device security, privacy, and press freedom
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