Phone and tech security is often the least important part of a plan… until it isn’t. If you or your device(s) are under criminal investigation, this stuff really matters. And if you haven’t thought about any form of digital security until you are arrested… Uh oh. Disclaimer: This zine is written by anarchists for people who face legal investigation or repression. However, it may be helpful for anyone who wants to reduce the data that cops or companies have about them. It should also be considered a 101-level document; the tips in this guide are the most basic steps you can take to protect yourself and your data. If your enemies are very powerful or potential consequences are very high, spend some time threat modeling’ and create a security plan for your specific needs. Phones and digital surveillance are unlikely to be the thing that gets you in legal trouble. However, once you are already known to
law enforcement or other enemies, or the cops know a crime has taken place, digital data is one of the first places they will look for evidence. If your data can be accessed retroactively, it may be used in a legal case against you or people connected to you. And, if user data is easy to access (as is the case for location data obtained through geofence warrants’ and hyper-specific internet searches), it may be used to narrow the suspect pool. The best way to ensure your internet history, location data, cell phone use, saved files, and other digital activities cannot be used against you is to make the data inaccessible to your enemies. Even better, make sure the evidence never exists in the first place.