EFF's Cell Phone Guide For US Protesters 82
An anonymous reader writes: The Electronic Frontier Foundation has updated its guide for protecting yourself and your cell phone at a protest. In addition to being extremely powerful tools (real-time communication to many watchers via social media, and video recording functionality), cell phones can also give authorities a lot of information about you if they confiscate it. The EFF is trying to encourage cell phone use and prepare people to use them. (The guide is based on U.S. laws, but much of the advice makes sense for other places as well.) Here are a few small snippets: "Start using encrypted communications channels. Text messages, as a rule, can be read and stored by your phone company or by surveillance equipment in the area. ... If the police ask to see your phone, tell them you do not consent to the search of your device. Again, since the Supreme Court's decision in Riley, there is little question that officers need a warrant to access the contents of your phone incident to arrest, though they may be able to seize the phone and get a warrant later. ... If your phone or electronic device was seized, and is not promptly returned when you are released, you can file a motion with the court to have your property returned."
Re:Better Idea (Score:2, Insightful)
Better to just not own/use a smartphone.. or a cellphone at all. It's still possible to do and retain a social life.
Spare me the "well everyone expects you to have one now" responses. We're all too caught up in choosing convenience over protecting ourselves from tyranny.
Re:Best (Score:5, Insightful)
If this is good advice, the government is tyrannical.
Comment removed (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:Best (Score:2, Insightful)
good idea, If we all hide in our house's it will get better right?
If you feel strongly enough you need to get out there and make your voice heard, One person can do very little but a large group of people giving up their time to a cause can change to world.
Re:Best (Score:2, Insightful)
oh yea, because democracy works in an oligarchy. They would be better off supporting 1 person and getting them employed by google then asking if google would support a reform of the area, this actually has a chance of success.
The other option is exactly what they are doing, getting international attention by going on a rampage, the area will suddenly get all the support it needs and additional funding.
Re:Better Idea (Score:5, Insightful)
It's a great idea to use a mobile phone at a protest. For a start they can upload video and photos in real-time, making it impossible for the cops to delete them. Encrypted messaging is a good way to organize a protest.
If you just take a camera you are both isolated and vulnerable to having to taken off you and wiped.
Re: Alter the phone so standard tools won't work (Score:2, Insightful)
You tech-heads are so cute. You think technical solutions can solve anything. They can't read your phone? Too bad... For you. They will pressure you to break it for them, and you will yield. You're not Neo or some fictional hero. You're an overgrown kid playing with the Big Boys. A couple of minutes of "vigorous" interrogation and you will be their bitch.
carry 'n change (Score:4, Insightful)
The only sensible thing to do, imo (aside from not carrying anything that can ID you), from /both/ the standpoint of /and/ from the standpoint of adding to a protest's effectiveness (something just a bit lost in the
personal privacy,
EFF article), is to bring just the cheapest dumb phone that you can find, and at the site immediately exchange it
with another protestor unknown to you, for his/hers. Shortly test both, and you're on.