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Washington Post Raid Is a Frightening Reminder: Turn Off Your Phone’s Biometrics Now (theintercept.com)

submitted 7 months ago by geneva_convenience@lemmy.ml to c/privacy@lemmy.ml

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The recent federal raid on the home of Washington Post reporter Hannah Natanson isn’t merely an attack by the Trump administration on the free press. It’s also a warning to anyone with a smartphone.

Included in the search and seizure warrant for the raid on Natanson’s home is a section titled “Biometric Unlock,” which explicitly authorized law enforcement personnel to obtain Natanson’s phone and both hold the device in front of her face and to forcibly use her fingers to unlock it. In other words, a judge gave the FBI permission to attempt to bypass biometrics: the convenient shortcuts that let you unlock your phone by scanning your fingerprint or face.-

It is not clear if Natanson used biometric authentication on her devices, or if the law enforcement personnel attempted to use her face or fingers to unlock her devices. Natanson and the Washington Post did not respond to multiple requests for comment. The FBI declined to comment.

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[-] eagerbargain3@lemmy.world 9 points 7 months ago

Just also stop saving critical stuff on your phone you’ll never use nor open again. A good mailbox is an empty mailbox, empty signal chat and so on. With AI it is leaking any away possibly out your phone

[-] DarrinBrunner@lemmy.world 9 points 7 months ago

I only use a 10-digit pin number I'm guaranteed to never forget. I type it in every time. But, I don't spend much time on my phone, sometimes I even forget it when I leave the house.

[-] upstroke4448@lemmy.dbzer0.com 7 points 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago)

People, if you are taken into custody and are forced to unlock the phone and you wipe the phone instead, you are living in a fantasy world if you think you can't get in trouble for that.

Maybe that's worth it but let's not kid ourselves that there wouldn't be consequences.

Remember plausible deniability is a social concept not a legal one. It might of helped you get out of being grounded but it won't save you from jail time.

[-] mattyroses@lemmy.today 6 points 7 months ago

There's always an XKCD

[-] mnemonicmonkeys@sh.itjust.works 6 points 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago)

Not relevant. The distress code on Graphene OS wipes the data on the phone, not encrypt it. Can't give what doesn't exist

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[-] NotMyOldRedditName@lemmy.world 5 points 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago)

That's why you need a second account the distress pin opens that looks like it's used for some stuff which leaves the rest encrypted.

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[-] tobiah@lemmy.world 4 points 7 months ago

You could set it up so that only your left pinky works. After they try the other more likely fingers they're just going to figure it didn't work.

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this post was submitted on 30 Jan 2026

513 points (99.0% liked)

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