For quick reference, we've created a handy guide designed to be printed, folded, and carried in your pocket (PDF download).
Now, more than ever, citizens must be able to hold those in power accountable and inspire others through the act of protest.
Protecting your electronic devices and digital assets before, during,...
I would also do some work a day or two before a protest.
Use a disposable phone or a phone that you wouldn’t mind losing or have confiscated. (personally, I keep all my old phones and use them for all kinds of things and maintain my main phone at the same time) … a good smartphone that is 2-3 years old is good enough for good imaging and video capture anyway.
When preparing your disposable phone, only install a few apps and as few personal accounts and services as possible, then encrypt the entire thing and use a secure passcode.
Preferably, I would also set up dummy accounts for everything … different accounts for social media or cloud storage or streaming accounts … basically accounts you can lose or give up if you had to.
If you ever lose the device or it gets confiscated, don’t ever bother asking for it again.
I’ve actually done this when travelling overseas. I don’t travel any more but the last time I did was about four or five years ago and we were starting to worry about border security confiscating or looking at our devices. I’m not part of any political groups or join any protest organizations, I am part of official political organizations but I’m not exactly a radical or anything … I just like maintaining my privacy and I really don’t believe that any group, organization or government has the right to look at my things just because they want to.
a good smartphone that is 2-3 years old is good enough for good imaging and video capture anyway.
And it’ll get incredibly good battery life if it’s not connecting to cell towers. So even if the battery has degraded a bit, it’ll probably be more than sufficient.
I’d argue that using dummy account is mandatory, not a preferrential choice.
If you have a phone on you with ANY of your personal data on it and a cop takes it, you should simply assume every single thing that the phone could access will end up in the hands of the proescutors to use against you.
Don’t log in to ANY accounts that have ANY personal data on a phone you’re taking to a protest, and sure as shit don’t log in to any account that have ANY political/sociologial discussions or plans that could be used to paint you in a bad light in court.
Make new accounts for everything, and only install and log in to the very very bare minimum. This includes using your google or apple account when you set the phone up, too: google and apple have an enormous amount of data about you and if they get a subpoena for it, and there’s anything anywhere that might be damning, you can bet it’ll get used against you.
(As a side note: don’t use anything electronic to do illegal shit either, because your other accounts could also be subpoenaed if the cops have reason to think your real google account has what they need, and most JPs will just rubber-stamp shit cops ask for anyways. If you MUST do illegal things do not use electronic devices. Meet in person, don’t make notes/videos/recordings/post it on tiktok/wahtever.)
I would also do some work a day or two before a protest.
Use a disposable phone or a phone that you wouldn’t mind losing or have confiscated. (personally, I keep all my old phones and use them for all kinds of things and maintain my main phone at the same time) … a good smartphone that is 2-3 years old is good enough for good imaging and video capture anyway.
When preparing your disposable phone, only install a few apps and as few personal accounts and services as possible, then encrypt the entire thing and use a secure passcode.
Preferably, I would also set up dummy accounts for everything … different accounts for social media or cloud storage or streaming accounts … basically accounts you can lose or give up if you had to.
If you ever lose the device or it gets confiscated, don’t ever bother asking for it again.
I’ve actually done this when travelling overseas. I don’t travel any more but the last time I did was about four or five years ago and we were starting to worry about border security confiscating or looking at our devices. I’m not part of any political groups or join any protest organizations, I am part of official political organizations but I’m not exactly a radical or anything … I just like maintaining my privacy and I really don’t believe that any group, organization or government has the right to look at my things just because they want to.
And it’ll get incredibly good battery life if it’s not connecting to cell towers. So even if the battery has degraded a bit, it’ll probably be more than sufficient.
I’d argue that using dummy account is mandatory, not a preferrential choice.
If you have a phone on you with ANY of your personal data on it and a cop takes it, you should simply assume every single thing that the phone could access will end up in the hands of the proescutors to use against you.
Don’t log in to ANY accounts that have ANY personal data on a phone you’re taking to a protest, and sure as shit don’t log in to any account that have ANY political/sociologial discussions or plans that could be used to paint you in a bad light in court.
Make new accounts for everything, and only install and log in to the very very bare minimum. This includes using your google or apple account when you set the phone up, too: google and apple have an enormous amount of data about you and if they get a subpoena for it, and there’s anything anywhere that might be damning, you can bet it’ll get used against you.
(As a side note: don’t use anything electronic to do illegal shit either, because your other accounts could also be subpoenaed if the cops have reason to think your real google account has what they need, and most JPs will just rubber-stamp shit cops ask for anyways. If you MUST do illegal things do not use electronic devices. Meet in person, don’t make notes/videos/recordings/post it on tiktok/wahtever.)