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I forgot my graphene even has that feature. Pretty cool. I want more details of the case. It doesn't seem like a slam dunk from the prosecution's standpoint.
Yeah, I'm not entirely sympathetic to activists of the socially disruptive / property destructive kind, but regardless of taste and their skills in efficient resistance, the thing to learn from this is that if you find yourself fucking with the government, you anyway need to enable yourself to do better than live wipe a phone in front of your interrogator.
you forgot about the kill switch? lol
Samuel Tunick sounds like a domestic terrorist
Grok:
Samuel (Sam) Tunick is an Atlanta-based activist, musician, and Oberlin College graduate known primarily for his involvement in the Stop Cop City (Defend the Atlanta Forest) movement opposing the Atlanta Public Safety Training Center.
He is described by supporters as empathetic, community-oriented, involved in urban farming, and active in Atlanta’s Jewish community (including agricultural fellowship and teaching at a local temple).
Legal CaseLegal Case
In January 2025, while returning from the Dominican Republic through Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson Airport, Tunick was stopped for secondary inspection by CBP’s Tactical Terrorism Response Team. Authorities had flagged him for “suspected terrorism activities” linked to his activism. Agents questioned him (his lawyers say under the pretext of suspected child sexual abuse material) and demanded he unlock his Google Pixel phone running GrapheneOS. He provided a passcode that triggered the OS’s duress feature, wiping the device’s data. Agents seized the phone anyway.
In November 2025, he was indicted on one federal count under 18 U.S.C. § 2232(a) for knowingly destroying/damaging property (the phone’s digital contents) to prevent its lawful seizure. He was arrested in early December 2025 during a traffic stop in Atlanta (involving DHS and FBI), pleaded not guilty, and was released on bond. His attorneys have argued the detention and search were unlawful (denied lawyer access multiple times, no warrant or Miranda warnings, pretextual questioning) and sought suppression of evidence. The case has drawn attention as a rare (or first) prosecution involving GrapheneOS’s privacy features and broader issues of border search powers versus digital privacy and activism.
Public biographical details beyond his activism, education, music, and this case remain limited in available reporting.
He is an activist associated with Defend the Atlanta Forest / Stop Cop City, domestic and eco terrorist organizations
They have engaged in arson and property destruction, one reason they are on DHS watchlist
Grok:
A Homeland Security agent circulated his name and photo to CBP’s Tactical Terrorism Response Team and an FBI joint terrorism task force officer shortly before his January 24, 2025 arrival at Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson Airport, citing the investigation into those suspected activities
Techcrunch article links to the Guardian if you want to hear the 'other' side
No warrant
Yes there was reason to suspect
and partial fishing expedition
https://techcrunch.com/2026/07/24/us-accuses-american-of-allegedly-wiping-his-phone-using-a-duress-password-during-border-search/
@siggy47