- A GrapheneOS duress password feature can irreversibly wipe a device when entered under coercion.
- Activist Sam Tunick allegedly used this feature during a U.S. Customs search, leading to a federal charge of destroying evidence.
- Tunick's attorneys argue the evidence should be suppressed under the fruit of the poisonous tree doctrine due to alleged coerced testimony and lack of Miranda rights.
- Privacy experts say this case has no known precedent and could criminalize the use of privacy-protecting software.
- The incident occurred in January 2024, but Tunick was arrested months later during a traffic stop involving FBI and DHS.
- The case raises questions about the legality of using data self-destruction features against government searches.