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The protester's guide to smartphone security

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Re: The protester's guide to smartphone security

#11

Post by tomphoolery »

> However, in this situation it may make more sense to disable biometric authentication.

In Face ID, there's a setting that requires direct eye contact in order to open your phone. Highly recommend enabling this when feeling insecure about someone forcing you to open your phone (if it's not already on by default) because it means somebody forcing you to open your phone with Face ID can be easily defeated by simply closing your eyes. I tried this a number of times during the BLM protests, and I/nobody else could get my phone to unlock unless my eyes were open and looking right at it. So with Face ID, I think it's actually way more secure to have biometric authentication turned on, using this setting. The thumbprint stuff might be a good idea to avoid though.

(WARNING: This will make your phone pretty much impossible to unlock with your face if you're inebriated on anything. Ask me how I know. xD You should probably disable it after the protest.)

Re: The protester's guide to smartphone security

#12

Post by tehjoker »

If you're this worried, don't bring your phone lol. If you need to take pictures (and don't take identifiable pics of people without consent), just bring a camera.

Otoh, the main function of protests is to get media attention, so if they don't get publicized there was basically no point unless they evolve into direct action.

If you're interested in this second point, read https://www.amazon.com/If-We-Burn-Protest-Revolution/dp/1541...

Re: The protester's guide to smartphone security

#13

Post by tehjoker »

diggan wrote: post #3

If you're attending a large-scale protest, it's likely that the cell-towers (or stingrays) won't be able to handle everyone who is connected anyways, so worth planning to use apps that can chat over P2P WiFi or Bluetooth together with the rest of your friends. This also allows you to continue using Airplane Mode the entire time, while being able to communicate with people nearby. Alternatively, investing in walkie-ta…

The battery thing can be important. One strategy law enforcement uses is to force your phone into a high energy state and zap the battery very quickly.

Re: The protester's guide to smartphone security

#14

Post by theoreticalmal »

tehjoker wrote: post #13
diggan wrote: post #3

If you're attending a large-scale protest, it's likely that the cell-towers (or stingrays) won't be able to handle everyone who is connected anyways, so worth planning to use apps that can chat over P2P WiFi or Bluetooth together with the rest of your friends. This also allows you to continue using Airplane Mode the entire time, while being able to communicate with people nearby. Alternatively, investing in walkie-ta…

The battery thing can be important. One strategy law enforcement uses is to force your phone into a high energy state and zap the battery very quickly.

What does this mean? What does the zapping accomplish?

Re: The protester's guide to smartphone security

#15

Post by ryankrage77 »

tomphoolery wrote: post #11

> However, in this situation it may make more sense to disable biometric authentication. In Face ID, there's a setting that requires direct eye contact in order to open your phone. Highly recommend enabling this when feeling insecure about someone forcing you to open your phone (if it's not already on by default) because it means somebody forcing you to open your phone with Face ID can be easily defeated by simply cl…

This has failed me. I was mugged while black out drunk, and they succesfully unlocked my phone, unlocked my banking app, etc, despite me having the eye contact feature enabled.

Re: The protester's guide to smartphone security

#16

Post by theoreticalmal »

morkalork wrote: post #9
diggan wrote: post #3

If you're attending a large-scale protest, it's likely that the cell-towers (or stingrays) won't be able to handle everyone who is connected anyways, so worth planning to use apps that can chat over P2P WiFi or Bluetooth together with the rest of your friends. This also allows you to continue using Airplane Mode the entire time, while being able to communicate with people nearby. Alternatively, investing in walkie-ta…

How safe is Bluetooth really? Cities has scanners used to track devices for monitoring road congestion, malls have scanners to measure foot traffic. I have to believe that anyone with access to stingray type of device can track Bluetooth as well.

Don’t both Apple and Android implement random BT MAC addresses specifically to prevent this kind of tracking?

Re: The protester's guide to smartphone security

#17

Post by theoreticalmal »

tomphoolery wrote: post #11

> However, in this situation it may make more sense to disable biometric authentication. In Face ID, there's a setting that requires direct eye contact in order to open your phone. Highly recommend enabling this when feeling insecure about someone forcing you to open your phone (if it's not already on by default) because it means somebody forcing you to open your phone with Face ID can be easily defeated by simply cl…

While this is good info, it should also be known that in the USA, a judge (maybe and police officer?) can legally command you to unlock your phone via biometrics, but they cannot legally command you to unlock via password or passphrase. “Legally command” = command you to do something with the force of law, and legally punish you if you resist

Re: The protester's guide to smartphone security

#18

Post by Cpoll »

theoreticalmal wrote: post #14
tehjoker wrote: post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The battery thing can be important. One strategy law enforcement uses is to force your phone into a high energy state and zap the battery very quickly.

What does this mean? What does the zapping accomplish?

I'm guessing in this context it means drain the battery. I haven't heard of this technique, but it seems plausible, by tricking the phone into constantly transmitting over WiFi or cell.

Re: The protester's guide to smartphone security

#19

Post by diggan »

qwerty_clicks wrote: post #7
diggan wrote: post #3

If you're attending a large-scale protest, it's likely that the cell-towers (or stingrays) won't be able to handle everyone who is connected anyways, so worth planning to use apps that can chat over P2P WiFi or Bluetooth together with the rest of your friends. This also allows you to continue using Airplane Mode the entire time, while being able to communicate with people nearby. Alternatively, investing in walkie-ta…

What apps do you recommend with p2p messaging?

Lots of groups have used https://briarproject.org/ successfully in the past, I've heard. Assumes you're using Android though which if you're using a burner, you most likely are.

Re: The protester's guide to smartphone security

#20

Post by jMyles »

tehjoker wrote: post #12

If you're this worried, don't bring your phone lol. If you need to take pictures (and don't take identifiable pics of people without consent), just bring a camera. Otoh, the main function of protests is to get media attention, so if they don't get publicized there was basically no point unless they evolve into direct action. If you're interested in this second point, read https://www.amazon.com/If-We-Burn-Protest-Rev…

> don't take identifiable pics of people without consent

Hard disagree. Public events are public events. My conclusion, based on experience at street protests, historic trends, and current political events, is that there have been significant actions by provocateurs over the past decade or more, and particularly in Portland in 2020. Taking and posting pictures of these people is an important act. It the internet age makes this tactic impossible, it will be a huge win.

The upside is nonexistent anyway: the state is photographing everyone at these events, so you taking an additional photo does not change the risk surface for anyone with regard to state retaliation.

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