Read on Twitter
1/ Here are some OPERATIONAL SECURITY tips for activists in Minneapolis and elsewhere.
Hashtags: #BlackLivesMatter
#Minneapolis #MinneapolisRiot
Hashtags: #BlackLivesMatter
#Minneapolis #MinneapolisRiot
2/ If you are carrying your phone around with you, delete anything off of your phone that you don't want the government to see.
This won't hide info from the government, esp if your phone syncs info to the cloud, but no need to make things easy for them.
This won't hide info from the government, esp if your phone syncs info to the cloud, but no need to make things easy for them.
3/ The only way you should secure your phone is with a LONG passcode. Like 12 digits.
If you secure your phone with biometric authentication--like your fingerprint or face--the police might use that to unlock your phone.
If you secure your phone with biometric authentication--like your fingerprint or face--the police might use that to unlock your phone.
4/ It's an open legal question on whether or not police can use biometric auth to open your phone, but let's just skip the debate and use a long passcode instead. https://www.zdnet.com/article/police-cant-force-us-citizens-to-unlock-their-phone-by-face-or-finger/
5/ SMS is an insecure method of communication.
WhatsApp and iMessage are better.
But the gold standard is to use Signal with Disappearing Messages turned on. https://signal.org/en/
WhatsApp and iMessage are better.
But the gold standard is to use Signal with Disappearing Messages turned on. https://signal.org/en/
6/ When you want to censor faces in photos, do NOT use a blurring tool. Instead, paint the face a solid color.
Gaussian blurring can easily be reversed with software. It won't fool the cops.
http://yuzhikov.com/projects.html
Gaussian blurring can easily be reversed with software. It won't fool the cops.
http://yuzhikov.com/projects.html
7/ (But ideally your face is hard to identify in photos because you are wearing a face mask.)
8/ Avoid leaking your GPS location.
Your phone might be tagging your GPS location to photos you take.
Your tweets and FB posts might also have your location attached.
Apps like video games might use your location to target ads or they might be selling it to data brokers.
Your phone might be tagging your GPS location to photos you take.
Your tweets and FB posts might also have your location attached.
Apps like video games might use your location to target ads or they might be selling it to data brokers.
9/ There are rumors of the police using StingRays or IMSI catchers. These are devices that pretend to be cell phone towers and trick your phone into connecting to them.
This is another way the police might track your location as you move around the city. https://www.startribune.com/use-of-controversial-surveillance-still-kept-secret/409236155/
This is another way the police might track your location as you move around the city. https://www.startribune.com/use-of-controversial-surveillance-still-kept-secret/409236155/
10/ You should also assume that your car is being tracked via license plate scanners.
Police cars have these scanners, so you should assume you're being scanned if you pass one of them.
https://www.revisor.mn.gov/statutes/cite/13.824
Police cars have these scanners, so you should assume you're being scanned if you pass one of them.
https://www.revisor.mn.gov/statutes/cite/13.824
11/ idk what capabilities MN has regarding facial recognition, but it is technically possible for them to search through security camera footage looking images that match with pictures of you taken from social media.
Read about how this tech works here: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/18/technology/clearview-privacy-facial-recognition.html
Read about how this tech works here: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/18/technology/clearview-privacy-facial-recognition.html
12/ Facial recognition has come up recently at the MN Legislature. https://www.minnpost.com/state-government/2020/02/minnesota-legislature-begins-considering-facial-recognition-technology-regulations/
13/ All of this is important if you are put into the position of having to DENY that you were somewhere.
You should assume that the government can prove if you are somewhere they say you were.
You should assume that the government can prove if you are somewhere they say you were.
14/ All right. I'm going to take a break. I might come back later with more advice.
