Shared here for public benefit.

Before going to a protest, demonstrators or observers should note that their cellphones may subject them to surveillance tactics by law enforcement. If your cellphone is on and unsecured, your location can be tracked and your unencrypted communications, such as SMS, may be intercepted. Additionally, police may retrieve your messages and the content of your phone if they take custody of your phone, or later by warrant or subpoena.

  • @[email protected]
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    9 days ago

    people on the internet love to talk about all these great security smart things that they will definitely never do.

    leave valuables at home, wear unremarkable clothes, and write your lawyers number on your arm with a sharpie.

    personally i bring my phone and a leica. ive been to jail for protesting before and in my current situation i just don’t care.

    • @[email protected]
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      58 days ago

      Its important because you endanger not just yourself but anyone who is possibly linked through your activities. Your actions are your own responsibility. If you are able to protect others in this Situations you should. And i hope you only document voilation oft power with your leika and not others protesting.

      • @[email protected]
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        18 days ago

        i don’t know what you just said but the whole point of a protest is to disrupt in order to be seen.

        I went to jail for trespassing. same as everyone else. its bullshit.

        • @[email protected]
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          18 days ago

          I was thinking of a different kind of protest then. Were im from this would involve civil unrest. Our cops arent as trigger happy like yours i guess.

  • @[email protected]
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    418 days ago

    Leave it at home for a protest if you care about being tracked.

    Pretty much all cell phones can be tracked even when turned off.

    • @[email protected]
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      18 days ago

      Could you not wrap it in thin foil to make a faraday cage? If done well it should prevent any signals for going in or out.

      puts on thin foil hat

    • @[email protected]
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      8 days ago

      Even with a libre OS and all radios turned off? (So to use the phone as a camera and offline navigation)

      • @[email protected]
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        48 days ago

        yes, even with all the foss software and radios turned off.

        it will still ping radio towers. the only exclusion are phones with physical switches for disabling hardware.

      • @[email protected]
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        48 days ago

        I feel like it could still get damaged or used as evidence in court if you get caught up in a crackdown.

    • @[email protected]
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      38 days ago

      Pointless, unless you leave the roomba running outdoors. Indoors you don’t have GPS coverage, and your phone is logged onto the same cell tower anyway. Might just leave it stationary at home, same outcome.

      • @[email protected]
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        98 days ago

        You definitely can get GPS coverage inside. It’s entirely building dependant but I’m inside right now and if I open GPS it’ll just work.

  • @[email protected]
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    9 days ago

    Leave it at home.

    I can understand the wish to film things; I recommend buying a cheap camera, maybe one to strap on your forehead (starting at $20) or an old compact digital camera. Something without any sort of connectivity. Something you can leave behind if the going gets rough.

    • @[email protected]
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      28 days ago

      maybe one to strap on your forehead

      They make much more practical chest straps for things like GoPros - you can sort of forget it’s there and just let it capture everything. I did that while white-water rafting and it worked very well.

    • @[email protected]
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      78 days ago

      Also multiple SD cards, swapping out frequently so even if they grash the camera you still have something.

  • @[email protected]
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    248 days ago

    If your phone is powered your location can be tracked. Secured or not: your location can always be tracked.

    The rest is doubtful, always assume law enforcement has access at will.

    Just don’t bring it.

    • @[email protected]
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      88 days ago

      doesn’t have to be powered on.

      unless you can remove the battery, it should stay at home.

        • @[email protected]
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          67 days ago

          so you’re going yo trust the government funded org to tell you how to not be tracked by the government?

          better yet, you’re going to trust the company that actively works with the government under national defense that wants to track you to protect national defense?

          no thanks. I’d rather be safe than detained.

          • @[email protected]
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            47 days ago

            Until I see a shred of evidence that airplane mode doesn’t disable the radios, yes, I’m going to trust the manufacturers, the EFF, and my background in EE

            • @[email protected]
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              27 days ago

              cool. you do you then.

              I’ll keep doing whatever I need to ensure my freedom by not trusting government or corporate guidelines.

            • @[email protected]
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              27 days ago

              I tend to agree (and also an EE). Airplane mode isn’t a total panacea, though. It just disables the cellular radio. While it also disables the Wifi and Bluetooth, those can always be turned back on, even while Airplane Mode is active. A motivated state actor can absolutely track via Wifi or Bluetooth. (Possibly even NFC, but the range on that is so low that I think it would impossible to do without seeing what is tracking you).

              Turning the phone off is the best solution if you want to keep rhe phone on your person. Guaranteed that all possible avenues for tracking is off, and also has the advantage that even if the phone is seized, the latest phone OSes require the passcode before doing anything at all when they first power up. Even the Police are limited in the data they can get off a phone that has just powered up and is asking for the passcode.

  • Angel Mountain
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    198 days ago

    … Goes to a protest to support gaza, get’s phone unlocked because police is using Israeli cellebrite software…

    • HubertManne
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      269 days ago

      thats my plan. im not taking wallet or keys or anything. just a transit card.

      • @[email protected]
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        99 days ago

        Also bring an ID and some cash. E.g. to buy some snacks/meal/water if the day goes longer than you planned for.

        • @[email protected]
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          109 days ago

          Why do you need an ID? Leave it in your car if you’re driving.

          I don’t think there’s a single state that requires you to actually carry documentation.

          https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stop_and_identify_statutes

          These are the states that require you to at least verbally state your name, and only if the officer has reasonable suspicion that you have or will commit a crime.

          They can ask your name. You may not have to answer.

          Research your state’s law on this before you go. It’s in the link.

          • @[email protected]
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            119 days ago

            Regardless of the law, you can be detained by law enforcement if you cannot prove who you say you are until you can prove it.

            • HubertManne
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              179 days ago

              If law enforcement was following the law I would not be protesting.

            • @[email protected]
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              48 days ago

              They’re detaining people with Real IDs for hours at a time. It likely makes no difference.

              • @[email protected]
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                48 days ago

                When they’ve got a cell full of detainees and they’re deciding who ICE is going to ship to “advanced processing” who do you think goes to the front of that line? I’m guessing it’s the “undocumented,” regardless of whatever laws you’re focused on.

          • Match!!
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            209 days ago

            lookit mr can’t-get-disappeared-by-ICE over here

          • @[email protected]
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            38 days ago

            There’s legal requirements, then there’s practical dealings with officers in the field. Seems to me that these days if you’re “undocumented” you’re asking to be sent to processing which can be a quick trip to a center somewhere across the country, if that’s the mood they’re in. After you get out you can try to sue them, maybe even win, but how long before you collect your damages?

            • @[email protected]
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              38 days ago

              This. You’ve got to ask yourself, what your goal when interacting with law enforcement is. It it your goal to stand up for every right? Or do you want to get away for the interaction as easy as possible?

              Let me give you an example of what I mean. I Denmark police can stop and ID you without a cause. You don’t have to provide an ID, but you have to state your name, address, and birthday. If you don’t, then you’ll be arrested. Our SSNs consists of birthday and a checksum. You’re not required to state your SSN checksum, but if you do state it, the police will have to pay you if the stop is longer than 10min.

              So giving the police a little more than they’re entitled to, can get you out of the interaction a lot easier.

              Of course you can stand up for your rights, and if you want to fight, then do it. But it will make your day harder.

        • adr1an
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          38 days ago

          Yeah. And, leave the other at home. Somehow, that mutual exclusivity between devices made me write “or”. Hehe.

    • moonlight
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      69 days ago

      What’s wrong with a grapheneOS device on airplane mode? Is firmware level tracking a confirmed thing?

  • ssillyssadass
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    289 days ago

    Here is the simple trick: leave your phone at home. Get a burner.

    • @[email protected]
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      78 days ago

      Side note, leave the burner in a Faraday bag when it’s going to be near your daily driver.

      • billwashere
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        28 days ago

        Wow, I hadn’t even thought about that. Excellent point!!

      • darkstar
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        38 days ago

        Faraday bags do not work with modern phones anymore, specifically 5G

        • @[email protected]
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          18 days ago

          Burner means non Smartphone with a fresh anonymous sim. Its not easy to get but important enough to “jump the hoops”

        • @[email protected]
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          28 days ago

          Faraday bags work, period, if they are made and used properly. If there’s no RF getting in or out, there’s no GPS and no checking in with the towers. Inertial navigation doesn’t work worth a damn after a little while, and it won’t work at all when powered down. Obviously? black tape over the camera lenses unless you’re ready to share what they’re seeing, and the microphones can listen very well too, it is a phone after all, so bear that in mind.

  • @[email protected]
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    149 days ago

    Stolen from another post:

    “you need around 6 layers of tin foil you can test this if you have a bluetooth device start playing some music or any audio and start wrapping in tinfoil until it disconnects id also say to leave your phone at home sk it pings the cell towers that you are at home and bring a burner if you can and make sure the burner is private so use cash prepaid sims and dont put the sim in at home or work make sure its all a mall away from cameras”

    Be safe tomorrow everyone

  • @[email protected]
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    8 days ago

    Jesus Christ, this conversation is scary. I wish y’all good luck that none of these precautions are necessary.

    As someone in a blue state where governance is sane, I’m “raw dogging it” (effing offensive slang term but now I’ve used it once in my life and can rest easy) and bringing my kids (teens). M also going to the local demonstration rather than go into the city for a big one - to some extent it’s a numbers game: ICE can’t raid them all and police aren’t legally allowed to help them

    …. And hopefully my optimism is well founded

    —-

    Edit: huge success! Entirely peaceful. While a few cops drove by, there was no police presence. Thousands of people of all ages lining both sides of main st, and three sides of our town common. Constant honking from supporters driving by. It was very inspirational. I’m proud of my fellow citizens and hope our voice for restoring sanity and democracy is heard.

    For those pessimists,a bit more context why I was so optimistic…… a few years back, our mayor and police were participants in a local BLM rally. Also a big part of local outrage against fascism was a city counselor getting assaulted and arrested for videoing an illegal raid on one of his constituents.

    • @[email protected]
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      148 days ago

      Doesn’t matter of the state is blue, the police force is going to do everything they can to fuck you anyways.

      • @[email protected]
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        58 days ago

        Nowadays millennials and Gen Z use raw dogging to indicate going either without protection to their electronic devices, or foregoing the use of devices like on a long plane ride.

        • @[email protected]
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          28 days ago

          Yes, very cringey slang for going without protection. Originally from pregnancy or STDs, but now also from boredom. In my case, without the protection of a mask or leaving my wallet and phone at home. I even drove and parked in a local public garage, so would be traceable in several different ways

    • @[email protected]
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      28 days ago

      I’m happy that you felt safe in a peaceful protest, but keep in mind that stingrays can be operated from airplanes at 10,000 ft. you likely would never hear them at a noisy protest and it would be the size of a grain of rice in the sky.

    • @[email protected]
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      168 days ago

      I’m in one of the bluest. Our police and FBI are not “blue.” American spy forces and “committee on anti-American activities”-ass motherfuckers are not kind or just, no matter the voting tendencies of the populace.

      How many decades have we seen far right terror groups overlooked for anti-capitalist leftists? The left threatens the status quo, the right fortifies it. The blue and red dichotomy is the status quo. The democrats support the genocide in Palestine. Going against that status quo makes you not safe from government crackdowns, the party in power is completely irrelevant.

      • @[email protected]
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        28 days ago

        If your “blue leaders” are any good, they enforce psych profiles on police recruitment that ensures you don’t have a force full of racist authoritarian law in their own hands radicals, at least for the forces they control - feds may be a different story.

    • billwashere
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      68 days ago

      The fact that this conversation is even necessary is to me more scary.

      I used to think the Bush era was bad. I’d gladly trade that for now.