US Government Targets Cop City Protester Over Phone Operating System

Friday, July 31, 2026

Concern over US effort to prosecute Sam Tunick, accused by authorities of wiping his phone using GrapheneOS

Posted by C0RI0LANUS at 10:33 AM | 22 COMMENTS | permalink | Comment on This Entry |

The government is prosecuting US citizen Sam Tunick for allegedly providing authorities with a "duress password" that wiped his phone when they tried to seize it at Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson airport.

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-- The Verge (@theverge.com) 8:51 AM Â· Jul 27, 2026

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The crushers are shamelessly and remorselessly persecuting Samaritan Samuel Tunick. We trust he has an Irish lawyer from the federal defender's office advocating for him.

An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

#1 | Posted by C0RI0LANUS at 2026-07-29 11:18 AM | Reply

5th Amendment, anyone?

#2 | Posted by morris at 2026-07-29 11:48 AM | Reply

And "the Fourth Amendment protects citizens specifically against unreasonable government searches and seizures, rather than prohibiting all such actions."

#3 | Posted by C0RI0LANUS at 2026-07-29 11:54 AM | Reply

When stupidity becomes patriotic, critical thought becomes treason.

#4 | Posted by Nixon at 2026-07-29 11:55 AM | Reply | Newsworthy 2

Nice catch.

I would definitely install this if I needed to cross any federal borders controlled by this administration.

I have nothing to hide but my "nothing" is protected from unreasonable searches and seizures. Even if I have to do the protecting myself.

#5 | Posted by donnerboy at 2026-07-29 12:14 PM | Reply

I don't give a sheet what "they" pull... my phone data is not "property".... what a pantload....

#6 | Posted by South_American at 2026-07-31 02:43 AM | Reply

And "federal authorities had put Samuel Tunick on a terrorism watchlist."

Then how and why was Mr. Tunick allowed to board his flight from Georgia to the Dominican Republic in the first place if he was on the terrorism watchlist?

Airport security screeners in the Dominican Republic also let Samuel Tunick board his return flight to the US.

Why didn't TSA stop him as the law would require? Isn't TSA's mission to detect and deter terrorists (KSTs) from boarding flights?

#7 | Posted by C0RI0LANUS at 2026-07-31 05:34 AM | Reply

5th Amendment, anyone?

#2 | Posted by morris at 2026-07-29 11:48 AM | Reply | Flag

Works just fine for Dr. Fauci.

#8 | Posted by lfthndthrds at 2026-07-31 11:48 AM | Reply

5th Amendment, anyone?
#2 | Posted by morris at 2026-07-29 11:48 AM | Reply | Flag
Works just fine for Dr. Fauci.
#8 | Posted by lfthndthrds

But it doesn't work at the border.
United States citizens are required to give the Untied States permission to search their phone to gain entry to the United States.
Alternately, citizens can surrender their phone to the United States.
Freedom!

#9 | Posted by snoofy at 2026-07-31 11:51 AM | Reply

#9 | Posted by snoofy at 2026-07-31 11:51 AM | Reply | Flag:

Years ago, they would've needed a search warrant signed by a judge and be specific about what they were looking for. Since The Patriot Act and NDAA, that went out of the window whenever they tag the word terrorism to virtually anything they want to investigate.

#10 | Posted by lfthndthrds at 2026-07-31 12:03 PM | Reply

Okay so you can recognize we're more like the USSR every day.
But you're also okay with that, when it means the brown people get sent to camps.
Got it.

#11 | Posted by snoofy at 2026-07-31 12:06 PM | Reply | Newsworthy 1

Too bad this case wasn't prosecuted in EDNY:

"Federal Judge Makes History in Holding That Border Searches of Cell Phones Require a Warrant"

www.eff.org

#12 | Posted by C0RI0LANUS at 2026-07-31 12:23 PM | Reply

Okay so you can recognize we're more like the USSR every day.
But you're also okay with that, when it means the brown people get sent to camps.
Got it.

#11 | Posted by snoofy at 2026-07-31 12:06 PM | Reply | Flag:

More straw... I was among the most vocal opponents when those laws were created. I was also bringing attention to the matter when they went to sundown and were renewed. I believe it was Homey Obama who signed off to renew The Patriot Act. And I'm almost certain that Biden signed NDAA. You can check me on that if you like.

#13 | Posted by lfthndthrds at 2026-07-31 12:28 PM | Reply

"I was among the most vocal opponents when those laws were created."

You're not a vocal opponent when they're applied to brown people. You favor deporting people for traffic violations and bad checks.

#14 | Posted by snoofy at 2026-07-31 12:30 PM | Reply

George BushJr signed the patriot act into law.

But turds blames Obama for it.

Kinda like he blames the entire Iraq war on Hillary.

Turds has turds for brains.

#15 | Posted by ClownShack at 2026-07-31 12:30 PM | Reply

You favor deporting people for traffic violations and bad checks.

He can't compete with people more intelligent than he is.

So he's in favor of deporting them.

#16 | Posted by ClownShack at 2026-07-31 12:32 PM | Reply

#15 | Posted by ClownShack at 2026-07-31 12:30 PM | Reply | Flag:

You may want to read this

thehill.com

#17 | Posted by lfthndthrds at 2026-07-31 12:34 PM | Reply

He can't compete with people more intelligent than he is.
So he's in favor of deporting them.

#16 | Posted by ClownShack at 2026-07-31 12:32 PM | Reply | Flag:

I'm intelligent enough to know who signed the renewal of The Patriot Act.

#18 | Posted by lfthndthrds at 2026-07-31 12:35 PM | Reply

I knew it was Obama's fault.

Thanks Obama.

Now Turds has to support Trump destroying America.

Right, Turds?

#19 | Posted by ClownShack at 2026-07-31 12:40 PM | Reply

In regard to the Patriot Act, Obama is no different that W.

#20 | Posted by lfthndthrds at 2026-07-31 12:42 PM | Reply

Of course Obama is to blame for the patriot act.

Just like Clinton is responsible for NAFTA.

And Iraq is completely Hillary's fault.

Thanks for allowing me to laugh at you.

#21 | Posted by ClownShack at 2026-07-31 12:45 PM | Reply

I'm intelligent enough to know who signed the renewal of The Patriot Act.

#18 | POSTED BY LFTHNDTHRDS

Are you intelligent enough to know that Presidents generally do not like to give up power once it is granted to them?

But interestingly that bill that Obama signed actually did reduce some surveillance authority.

FTA:

The bill also enacts the most sweeping surveillance reforms in a generation, for the first time in years putting new restrictions on federal intelligence powers.

And also:

The USA Freedom Act ends the National Security Agency's (NSA) bulk collection of Americans' telephone records, limits other ways the government collects large amounts of records and adds new transparency measures to the way the government collects information.

#22 | Posted by donnerboy at 2026-07-31 12:49 PM | Reply