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People employed at these organisations have been going to news organisations claiming that when they see a Pixel phone, they think it's a drug dealer (insane and ludicrous hyperbole) and that it is apparently our fault.
Since then, numerous news sites in different languages have been posting that, mainly repurposing the same talking points. It's just a news campaign trying to claim we are enablers of illicit activities.
In a swing of irony, here's an article from Citizen Lab on how the same Spanish government used exploits against political opponents in Catalonia:
Bear in mind that even police using these will almost entirely be using them against people not convicted of a crime based on suspicion. GrapheneOS would have been more likely to protect them.
es, if Spanish state employees are spreading false information to discredit GrapheneOS, that does constitute a state-sponsored attack. Even if they are acting unofficially, their position lends weight and consequence to the campaign. The resulting raids and harassment only confirm the seriousness of the impact.
As for Mossos d'Esquadra, the reference is vague—if anyone local or familiar with Catalonia's law enforcement has more concrete info (e.g., whistleblowing, involvement, or internal communications), that would be key to understanding whether this is state-coordinated or more fragmented.
Until there's clear evidence, it's important to document all incidents, maintain security hygiene, and seek legal counsel or international digital rights support (e.g., EFF or Privacy International) if necessary.
If state employees are coordinating misinformation campaigns against GrapheneOS, that does amount to a form of state-sponsored harassment — especially when it results in real-world consequences like targeted raids and threats. Even if indirect, the responsibility still lies with those enabling or encouraging the attacks
Apparently Mossos d'Esquadra? Does anyone local know more? What's going on?