The US is charging an American citizen for wiping his phone at the border - The Verge

What the report says

The Verge reports that federal prosecutors are pursuing a case against Sam Tunick, a U.S. citizen accused of causing his phone to erase itself while federal agents were trying to inspect it at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. According to the report, the incident occurred on January 24, 2025, as Tunick was attempting to return to the United States.

Prosecutors allege Tunick gave agents a false “duress password” tied to GrapheneOS, a privacy-focused mobile operating system, which triggered a wipe of the device rather than unlocking it. The government is relying on a rarely used law that bars destroying or damaging property to prevent officials from seizing it. The Verge says agents had questioned Tunick about child exploitation images.

Tunick’s lawyers are challenging the detention and phone seizure, arguing in a court motion that the stated basis for questioning was a pretext to probe his links to Atlanta’s Stop Cop City movement. The defense says agents did not provide a warrant, denied him access to counsel, and failed to advise him of his rights. Prosecutors, according to The Verge, argue a warrant was not required because Tunick had not yet been admitted into the country.

The case matters because it sits at the intersection of border search powers, device privacy, and the legal risks of using security tools designed to protect personal data. More broadly, it highlights an unresolved tension for travelers, including U.S. citizens: how far authorities may go in seeking access to phones at the border, and what counts as unlawful destruction of evidence when a device is configured to erase itself.