US government targets Cop City protester over phone operating system

Sam Tunick, an Atlanta resident involved in Cop City protests, is facing federal prosecution based on his phone's operating system. Per The Guardian, Tunick uses GrapheneOS, an open-source platform that allows users to wipe their devices by entering a passcode. The Department of Justice is applying a federal statute designed to prosecute evidence destruction—but against Tunick for merely possessing privacy-focused software, not for any alleged action. The statute makes it a crime to destroy property to prevent seizure. The case had its first hearing this week.

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