this post was submitted on 14 Jun 2025
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Before going to a protest, demonstrators or observers should note that their cellphones may subject them to surveillance tactics by law enforcement. If your cellphone is on and unsecured, your location can be tracked and your unencrypted communications, such as SMS, may be intercepted. Additionally, police may retrieve your messages and the content of your phone if they take custody of your phone, or later by warrant or subpoena.

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[–] blockheadjt@sh.itjust.works 4 points 2 hours ago (1 children)

Set your phone on top of a Roomba that has scheduled cleaning throughout the day.

[–] viking@infosec.pub 2 points 1 hour ago

Pointless, unless you leave the roomba running outdoors. Indoors you don't have GPS coverage, and your phone is logged onto the same cell tower anyway. Might just leave it stationary at home, same outcome.

[–] finitebanjo@lemmy.world 2 points 1 hour ago

Buy a Burner.

[–] Buske@lemmy.world 7 points 3 hours ago

YOU DONT BRING IT.

[–] Deflated0ne@lemmy.world 6 points 3 hours ago

By leaving it at home.

[–] SoftestSapphic@lemmy.world 30 points 8 hours ago (1 children)

Leave it at home for a protest if you care about being tracked.

Pretty much all cell phones can be tracked even when turned off.

[–] throwawayacc0430@sh.itjust.works 2 points 6 hours ago* (last edited 6 hours ago) (1 children)

Even with a libre OS and all radios turned off? (So to use the phone as a camera and offline navigation)

[–] finitebanjo@lemmy.world 1 points 1 hour ago

I feel like it could still get damaged or used as evidence in court if you get caught up in a crackdown.

[–] wanderwisley@lemm.ee 50 points 15 hours ago (2 children)

Turn it off and leave it at home.

[–] NikkiDimes@lemmy.world 29 points 14 hours ago* (last edited 14 hours ago) (2 children)

Leave it on at home.

"Your honor, as you can see from my mobile device location history, I never even left my house that day."

Not that that'll actually work or that they'll care, but still...

[–] ChairmanMeow@programming.dev 2 points 8 hours ago (2 children)

They likely have the data to show it didn't move at all. Eg it wasn't on your person.

[–] weariedfae@sh.itjust.works 1 points 44 minutes ago (1 children)

You underestimate how much of a couch potato I am. Not moving is normal lol.

[–] ChairmanMeow@programming.dev 1 points 38 minutes ago

Even sitting on a couch moves your phone more than simply laying on a table. They can use accelerometer data to determine how, if at all, it moved.

[–] JayDee@lemmy.sdf.org 3 points 7 hours ago* (last edited 5 hours ago) (1 children)

Put a harness on your pet and put it on the harness. Boom, instant spoofing.

[–] MangoCats@feddit.it 2 points 6 hours ago

Movement data shows that you scratch your fleas a lot, you should do something about that.

[–] Vanilla_PuddinFudge@infosec.pub 4 points 12 hours ago

"I let my landlord borrow my car, though. He said it was important."

[–] ArchmageAzor@lemmy.world 6 points 14 hours ago (1 children)

Most modern devices track the phone even when it's turned off. If you can't remove the battery, leave it at home.

[–] MangoCats@feddit.it 3 points 6 hours ago

When I shut the lid on my work computer I assumed it was "off" or at least inactive. My home network showed me it was continuing to "check in" throughout the night.

[–] angelmountain@feddit.nl 15 points 16 hours ago

... Goes to a protest to support gaza, get's phone unlocked because police is using Israeli cellebrite software...

[–] AA5B@lemmy.world 20 points 18 hours ago* (last edited 14 hours ago) (4 children)

Jesus Christ, this conversation is scary. I wish y’all good luck that none of these precautions are necessary.

As someone in a blue state where governance is sane, I’m “raw dogging it” (effing offensive slang term but now I’ve used it once in my life and can rest easy) and bringing my kids (teens). M also going to the local demonstration rather than go into the city for a big one - to some extent it’s a numbers game: ICE can’t raid them all and police aren’t legally allowed to help them

…. And hopefully my optimism is well founded

—-

Edit: huge success! Entirely peaceful. While a few cops drove by, there was no police presence. Thousands of people of all ages lining both sides of main st, and three sides of our town common. Constant honking from supporters driving by. It was very inspirational. I’m proud of my fellow citizens and hope our voice for restoring sanity and democracy is heard.

For those pessimists,a bit more context why I was so optimistic….. a few years back, our mayor and police were participants in a local BLM rally. Also a big part of local outrage against fascism was a city counselor getting assaulted and arrested for videoing an illegal raid on one of his constituents.

[–] YiddishMcSquidish@lemmy.today 12 points 15 hours ago

Doesn't matter of the state is blue, the police force is going to do everything they can to fuck you anyways.

[–] TheFriar@lemm.ee 9 points 15 hours ago (1 children)

I’m in one of the bluest. Our police and FBI are not “blue.” American spy forces and “committee on anti-American activities”-ass motherfuckers are not kind or just, no matter the voting tendencies of the populace.

How many decades have we seen far right terror groups overlooked for anti-capitalist leftists? The left threatens the status quo, the right fortifies it. The blue and red dichotomy is the status quo. The democrats support the genocide in Palestine. Going against that status quo makes you not safe from government crackdowns, the party in power is completely irrelevant.

[–] MangoCats@feddit.it 2 points 5 hours ago

If your "blue leaders" are any good, they enforce psych profiles on police recruitment that ensures you don't have a force full of racist authoritarian law in their own hands radicals, at least for the forces they control - feds may be a different story.

[–] NWIBiHigh@lemmy.world 8 points 16 hours ago (2 children)

You say kids. Youve rawdogged more than once probably

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[–] billwashere@lemmy.world 5 points 15 hours ago (2 children)

The fact that this conversation is even necessary is to me more scary.

I used to think the Bush era was bad. I’d gladly trade that for now.

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[–] latenightnoir@lemmy.blahaj.zone 10 points 16 hours ago
[–] gaael@lemmy.blahaj.zone 14 points 17 hours ago (1 children)

You get a burner for the protest and give your phone to a friend or family member for the day so that it still pings towers at the usual places.

[–] billwashere@lemmy.world 9 points 15 hours ago

Or at home. It’s not unusual for me to spend several hours at home on a Saturday.

[–] ArchmageAzor@lemmy.world 27 points 21 hours ago (1 children)

Here is the simple trick: leave your phone at home. Get a burner.

[–] Manalith@midwest.social 5 points 15 hours ago (2 children)

Side note, leave the burner in a Faraday bag when it's going to be near your daily driver.

[–] darkstar@sh.itjust.works 2 points 9 hours ago (2 children)

Faraday bags do not work with modern phones anymore, specifically 5G

[–] MangoCats@feddit.it 1 points 5 hours ago

Faraday bags work, period, if they are made and used properly. If there's no RF getting in or out, there's no GPS and no checking in with the towers. Inertial navigation doesn't work worth a damn after a little while, and it won't work at all when powered down. Obviously? black tape over the camera lenses unless you're ready to share what they're seeing, and the microphones can listen very well too, it is a phone after all, so bear that in mind.

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