US citizen charged for wiping phone during border search at Atlanta airport

American citizen Sam Tunick is facing federal charges after allegedly providing a 'duress password' that erased his phone when authorities attempted to seize it at Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson airport on January 24, 2025. Federal agents detained Tunick and questioned him about child exploitation images, though his lawyers contend the search was a pretext to probe his ties to the Stop Cop City movement in Atlanta. Prosecutors are relying on a rarely used federal statute that prohibits destroying or damaging property to obstruct law enforcement. The case has drawn attention for its potential implications on digital privacy rights and the limits of government authority during border searches.
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