The 404 Media Podcast Is Wiping a Phone a Crime?
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Dec 17, 2025 A shocking legal case unfolds as a man faces charges for wiping his phone before a Customs and Border Protection search. Unanswered questions linger about the circumstances of the stop and the motivations behind the charge. The conversation shifts to a contentious incident in a queer gamer Discord, where an Anthropic exec imposed an AI chatbot despite community pushback, sparking debates about consent and AI ethics. The hosts explore the implications of AI personalities and the evolving dynamics of online communities.
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Charge Focused On Wiping, Not Underlying Crime
- The indictment charges Samuel Tunick specifically for deleting data from a Google Pixel before CBP could search it.
- The charge targets the act of wiping the phone itself rather than any underlying crime on the device.
Case Is Opaque With Key Missing Context
- Many key details are missing: why Tunick was stopped, why CBP wanted to search his phone, and exactly how he wiped it.
- The case is opaque and unusual because indictment came months after the border encounter and arrest happened later during a traffic stop.
Duress Wipe Tools Exist On Hardened Androids
- Graphene OS and other hardened Android builds include duress pins that can wipe devices quickly.
- Such features exist for legitimate privacy needs but can also be used in moments confronted by law enforcement at borders.