Newly filed court records in the case of Samuel Tunick, a Stop Cop City activist, show that federal agents gave a false reason for detaining him at an Atlanta airport in January 2025. An internal email from a Homeland Security Investigations official said Tunick was being investigated for suspected terrorist activities, but during the interrogation, Customs and Border Protection officers said they needed his phone to look for child pornography.
Tunick provided a code that wiped his GrapheneOS phone, a security-focused device. He is now charged with destroying digital contents to prevent government seizure, a charge his lawyers argue is based on a pretext. The lawyers note that one officer acknowledged there was no reason to believe Tunick possessed child abuse material.
The case has become a prominent technology civil rights matter. Tunick has said the charges are meant to intimidate people who protect their data and privacy. He faces up to five years in prison. The report notes that Tunick is not suspected of any crime beyond the alleged wiping of the phone.