Replying to Sats-uma Stacker

Definitely interesting and great job graphene team. Is it fair to say though that this is something 99.9% of people don't need to be concerned with?

And for the 0.1% who it may be relevant to, let me share an old few words of wisdom:

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Final 1y ago

Tools like these are used in unlawful search and seizures and in border crossings. They're called forensic kits because they're supposed to be designed to extract device data as forensically sound evidence that can't be tampered with.

The companies are very capable actors that design zero-day exploits, even if their targeting is limited, allowing some company to use exploits and not patch them is unacceptable for us. Other OEMs like Samsung should be humiliated for not trying hard enough. Apple followed us in adding an automatic reboot but we'd want more and Google should add more of the suggestions from us.

This is slightly below something like mercenary spyware but as businesses they both function the same, selling a way to hack a device for money. Intelligence agencies go above both and they would seek something bespoke.

If someone could be $5 wrenched, get rid of the phone or data. No data is worth your life. You're better to post all that data to someone or publicise whatever you was whistleblowing.

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Sats-uma Stacker 1y ago

Hmm I think at a border crossing you would have to open your phone if asked or you could be imprisoned or denied entry (depending on country). Even US citizens have been forced to unlock their phones when reentering the US (known dissident journalists for example) and they did unlock to get home.

I could see where these tools are useful when someone is willing to die for their data or is already dead (like the trump assassin guy) and ppl want access to their phone.

The better plan IMO is to just travel with a secondary device with nothing vital on it or to always keep your primary phone without anything vital. Why are people keeping their life secrets on a phone and wandering out in public with it? Use a fully encrypted laptop and keep it at home.