Tech
DHS Said They Searched Man Who Wiped GrapheneOS Phone for Child Abuse Material. They Lied
Publication: 404 Media
Author: Joseph Cox
Source published: 20/10/2026, 16:00:10 UTC
Briefing created: 21/10/2026, 01:14:17 UTC
Based on a feed excerpt; full article content has not been acquired. Source evidence retrieved 21/10/2026, 01:13:23 UTC.
Briefings
A Department of Homeland Security official alerted Customs and Border Protection to Samuel Tunick, a Stop Cop City activist, in January 2025 for suspected terrorist activities. Tunick subsequently provided CBP with a code to wipe his GrapheneOS phone containing child abuse material. Tunick is now criminally charged for this act, marking one of the most prominent technology civil rights cases. CBP officials lied during his interrogation, claiming the search was for 'kiddie porn' rather than terrorism, despite the search occurring at the start of the second Trump administration.
Key points
- Department of Homeland Security officials alerted Customs and Border Protection to Samuel Tunick in January 2025 for suspected terrorist activities.
- Customs and Border Protection officials lied to Tunick during his interrogation, claiming the search was for 'kiddie porn' instead of terrorism.
Context
This case involves a Stop Cop City activist who provided a code to wipe his GrapheneOS phone containing child abuse material. The search occurred at the start of the second Trump administration, significantly broadening what organizations may be considered targets for such searches.
Limitations
Evidence is limited to court records and a screenshot of the alert; specific dates for the interrogation lie are not fully confirmed, and the exact scope of the 'kiddie porn' search remains unverified.
Generated by Bittrees-hosted qwen35-2b sha256:aaf42c8b7c3c on 21/10/2026, 01:14:17 UTC. Based on publisher-provided feed evidence; may not cover the full original article. Check the source for details.
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