technology

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

The Verge·July 26, 2026

The US government is prosecuting American citizen Sam Tunick for allegedly using a "duress password" to wipe his phone when authorities attempted to seize it at Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson airport. Federal agents had detained Tunick, reportedly questioning him about child exploitation images, but his lawyers claim this was a pretext to investigate his connections to the Stop Cop City movement. The government is using a rarely-used statute that prohibits destroying or damaging property to obstruct authorities. Tunick's case is now being pursued under this little-known law, which has significant implications for individual privacy and digital rights.

✦ AI-generated summary

More from Technology