The search warrant to raid a Washington Post reporter’s home shows how authorities can open your phone without your consent.

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.

  • halcyoncmdr@piefed.socialEnglish
    2·
    8 hours ago

    I haven’t done as much research on iPhones… does that put it back into a BFU state, or just not accept biometrics?

    There is a difference if it doesn’t force it back into BFU state, not for say a patrol officer/agent on the field, but definitely if they’re trying to get into your phone later.

    • stoy@lemmy.zipEnglish
      2·
      8 hours ago

      It just disables biometrics, so not a complete lockdown, but better than nothing.

      If you want to do a better lockdown, you do the following, it takes longer however:

      • Press Vol+
      • Press Vol-
      • Hold the lock button until you see the Apple logo

      This will force a restart of the device and require the pin to be entered.

      • lol_idk@piefed.socialEnglish
        1·
        5 hours ago

        You can just hold the lock button and volume up until it prompts you to power off.

        Or swipe down the control center and there a power icon in the top right

        Edit. Apparently that control center thing doesn’t work on my phone but it used to