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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[–] wanderwisley@lemm.ee 57 points 2 days ago (2 children)

Turn it off and leave it at home.

[–] NikkiDimes@lemmy.world 42 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (3 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...

[–] biggerbogboy@sh.itjust.works 2 points 1 day ago

Even better, have your tv on the whole time, so if the tv sends telemetry data that's also linked to the phone, it'll show you were at home the whole time.

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

[–] ChairmanMeow@programming.dev 3 points 1 day ago (3 children)

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

[–] Patch@feddit.uk 2 points 19 hours ago

Ask a non-protesting friend or family member to take it with them about their daily routine?

I'm sure my mum would be happy to look after my phone for a day if it meant getting one over on three authorities. And if anyone asks, I'm just a good son who likes to hang out with his mum.

[–] weariedfae@sh.itjust.works 11 points 1 day ago (2 children)

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

[–] KingPorkChop@lemmy.ca 2 points 22 hours ago

If I'm sitting on the couch, the phone is not on me. It's on the table next to me or on a counter somewhere. I don't even always look at it if I get a message. Sometimes I'll wait hours after I get a message to read it.

[–] ChairmanMeow@programming.dev 2 points 1 day ago (1 children)

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.

[–] Zentron@sh.itjust.works 4 points 1 day ago

For that , someone mentioned a roomba or straping it to a dogs collar..

[–] JayDee@lemmy.sdf.org 9 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (1 children)

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

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

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

[–] ArchmageAzor@lemmy.world 8 points 1 day ago (2 children)

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

[–] twice_hatch@midwest.social 1 points 1 day ago (1 children)
[–] ArchmageAzor@lemmy.world 2 points 1 day ago

I would not be surprised if it can only be "turned off."

[–] MangoCats@feddit.it 3 points 1 day ago (1 children)

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.

[–] RisingSwell@lemmy.dbzer0.com 4 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Closing the lid typically does sleep or hibernate, both of which can still be active. I've had many windows updates overnight with the lid closed.

[–] MangoCats@feddit.it 1 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Typical isn't relevant in a corporate controlled image which they push automatic updates to. Whatever "typical" was can be changed with the next update push.

[–] RisingSwell@lemmy.dbzer0.com 1 points 1 day ago

Sure but it could just do the default thing because it just wasn't changed.