What To Do If Your Phone Is Seized By The Police

 

In a September 2020 article the Freedom of the Press Foundation wrote: So, you’ve been arrested covering an event. You’re taken to the police station, you’re booked, and your phone is confiscated. When you’re let out, after a few hours or even a few days, your phone is handed back to you in a plastic baggie; the SIM card and SD card taped to the back. Someone has definitely gone through your digital belongings.

They suggest that you take the following steps to protect yourself if your phone is seized and searched by the police / government agents...
    
1. Encrypt your phone. Having an encrypted phone means that your data will not be readable to anyone when your phone is powered down and even if a copy is made of your phone data, it won't be readable without your code. This requires using a pin or passphrase to unlock your device, which might seem like a lot of work at first; but it's worth it, and you will get used to it.
    
2. Lock your phone. Change your settings so your phone locks immediately after sleep, and immediately after you press the power button. While this doesn't encrypt your phone (it's always unencrypted while it's on, especially on Android), it will prevent anyone from accessing and using your apps.
    
3. Prevent your text messaging apps from showing the full text of a message while the phone is locked. No one should be able to read your communications with friends, or two-factor auth codes, without opening the app first.
    
4. Lock your SIM card. Set a PIN to control access to your SIM data and cellular network use. A SIM card may still be unlocked by your carrier, but locking it locally protects against people who grab your card from you. Note that when you first start this process, you will first need to enter the default passcode that is etched into your SIM card before you can enter your desired passcode. You might not know what that default passcode is, and risk locking your SIM card after 3 incorrect attempts. So, before you start to set up SIM card lock, do a quick search online for the default PIN for your carrier. For example, Verizon’s default PIN is 1111.
    
5. Practice good login hygiene. Use strong passphrases, two-factor authentication, and different passwords for different accounts with the help of a password manager.
    
6. Protect your mobile service account. Take the time to properly lock-down the account you have with your mobile carrier. Some people think of it as an afterthought, but it's alarmingly easy for anyone to take over your phone number, SIM card, and eventually, all mobile communications if such accounts aren't secured. Visit your provider's website to create a strong passphrase and/and back-up PIN for your account. Then call your provider and have a representative put a "Security Notice" on your account, saying something to the effect of "No one can make any changes to my account unless they give you the passphrase/PIN first."
    
7. Keep a list of all the accounts that are important to you. Having a list of accounts that need to be addressed in the event of compromise will save you time and worry.
    
8. Burst the cloud! Frequently delete your browsing history from your web browsing apps via their settings. If you're a Google services user, prune (or better yet, pause) your "Web and App Activity". iPhone users must prevent messaging apps from syncing data to iCloud. We know it might seem scary, but unlinking your phone and mac computers from iCloud is the best way to protect your data from prying eyes. Journalists, activists, and concerned citizens usually want to sync photos and videos to the cloud as soon as they take them, and that's OK! However, consider using another cloud-based service that gives you more control over how, when, and where you sync your data-- something better than iCloud.


Read the complete article here.