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How Do I Prepare My Phone for a Protest?

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  • Burner phone ... leave your main one at home ... ABSOLUTELY DO NOT BRING YOUR MAIN PHONE

    Set up your burner phone with one or two accounts to things you might want to upload to ... encrypt as much as you can. Do not load all your social accounts ... only log into the bare minimum. If you are organized, log into temporary or fake or secondary accounts if you can.

    Start the day without any prior history, photos or content on the phone and keep as few contacts as you can ... memorize numbers that are important to you.

    Always be prepared to give up or lose your phone.

    And as always ... SAFETY GLASSES .... bring a pair of industry rated CSA approved safety glasses (try to get a pair with a tint so you can pass them as sunglasses). Look for safety glasses with anything marked ANSI Z87+, sometimes written Z87.1+ (note the plus) rated or CSA Z94.3 rated are ensured to safely withstand a direct high energy strike.

    .... additional things if you want to do more

    Bring a small new blank paper note book you can keep in a pocket with a small pen or pencil ... you might be taking notes like license plates, name tags or names of people or places ... its always faster to just write something down than in taking a shaky photo or tapping away a note on an app

    Wear a big scarf ... for guys or girls ... a scarf comes in handy for all kinds of emergencies including using it as something to cover your mouth, dress a wound, tie something or cover something up.

    Wear a good pair of running shoes ... be prepared to run and be on your feet all day.

    Bring a small backpack and bring a couple bottles of water and some energy bars ... keep it light because you'll be on your feet all day and if things go bad, you might be targeted if you have a large pack ... plus an empty pack can be used to carry things later if you need to.

    Dress for the weather ... if its going to be hot, wear light clothing but if things go bad and you have to stay out over night or longer, bring a light jacket ... if rain is forecast within a day or two, bring a small poncho

    Ideally, that burner phone never goes anywhere near your home or any place you frequent from the time it is acquired until the time it is destroyed.

    Briar is a good messaging app for you and your group. It will work (to some degree or another) over bluetooth even after they shut down the cell towers. Keep posting information about law enforcement deployment numbers and locations.

    Airplanes.live provides unfiltered ADS-B data, useful for identifying and locating law enforcement aircraft, including drones.

    For uploading media, choose overseas fediverse instances for your account, which are not subject to US law, and won't get shut down or raided by US law enforcement if you upload something they don't like.

    I've been suggesting this everywhere: pick a dozen different protest locations, and share your list with everyone you meet. If and when law enforcement deploys in force at your current location, leave for another. Force them to constantly redeploy to multiple locations.

  • Shared here for public benefit.

    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.

    Leave it at home lol

  • thats my plan. im not taking wallet or keys or anything. just a transit card.

    Also bring an ID and some cash. E.g. to buy some snacks/meal/water if the day goes longer than you planned for.

  • To add onto the phone section: (1) Disable any biometric authentication, and (2) turn/keep it off whenever there's a chance that it will be siezed.

    1. While the first amendment protects you from being required to give up your phone's pass code, there's no protection against someone just holding the phone up to your face or fingerprints to unlock it.

    2. While your phone is never totally impenetrable, it is significantly harder to access in its BFU state (before first unlock). Most commercially available cracking tools will only work if the phone is in it's AFU state (after first unlock).

    I've seen plenty of videos of cops holding a suspect down and forcing a fingerprint unlock...

  • Shared here for public benefit.

    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.

    Don't bring it

  • Shared here for public benefit.

    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.

    Leave it at home.

    I can understand the wish to film things; I recommend buying a cheap camera, maybe one to strap on your forehead (starting at $20) or an old compact digital camera. Something without any sort of connectivity. Something you can leave behind if the going gets rough.

  • Buy a feature phone in cash at a Dollar General as far away from home as you can feasibly get. Do not interact with any other business in the area. Just buy the phone and leave. Activate it at a public library. Add no contacts. Tell no one that it exists.

    Use cash.

  • Shared here for public benefit.

    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.

    Stolen from another post:

    "you need around 6 layers of tin foil you can test this if you have a bluetooth device start playing some music or any audio and start wrapping in tinfoil until it disconnects id also say to leave your phone at home sk it pings the cell towers that you are at home and bring a burner if you can and make sure the burner is private so use cash prepaid sims and dont put the sim in at home or work make sure its all a mall away from cameras"

    Be safe tomorrow everyone

  • Having an ID can help if you do get arrested. But that's about all I carry.

    Why do you need an ID? Leave it in your car if you're driving.

    I don't think there's a single state that requires you to actually carry documentation.

    These are the states that require you to at least verbally state your name, and only if the officer has reasonable suspicion that you have or will commit a crime.

    They can ask your name. You may not have to answer.

    Research your state's law on this before you go. It's in the link.

  • They may confiscate your phone and record all data on it.

    If it's a fresh wipe with a good passcode, and you keep it on airplane mode, you're probably fine.

  • Why do you need an ID? Leave it in your car if you're driving.

    I don't think there's a single state that requires you to actually carry documentation.

    These are the states that require you to at least verbally state your name, and only if the officer has reasonable suspicion that you have or will commit a crime.

    They can ask your name. You may not have to answer.

    Research your state's law on this before you go. It's in the link.

    lookit mr can't-get-disappeared-by-ICE over here

  • They may confiscate your phone and record all data on it.

    If it's a fresh wipe with a good passcode, and you keep it on airplane mode, you're probably fine.

    Set up a duress PIN on your graphene phone

  • Burner phone ... leave your main one at home ... ABSOLUTELY DO NOT BRING YOUR MAIN PHONE

    Set up your burner phone with one or two accounts to things you might want to upload to ... encrypt as much as you can. Do not load all your social accounts ... only log into the bare minimum. If you are organized, log into temporary or fake or secondary accounts if you can.

    Start the day without any prior history, photos or content on the phone and keep as few contacts as you can ... memorize numbers that are important to you.

    Always be prepared to give up or lose your phone.

    And as always ... SAFETY GLASSES .... bring a pair of industry rated CSA approved safety glasses (try to get a pair with a tint so you can pass them as sunglasses). Look for safety glasses with anything marked ANSI Z87+, sometimes written Z87.1+ (note the plus) rated or CSA Z94.3 rated are ensured to safely withstand a direct high energy strike.

    .... additional things if you want to do more

    Bring a small new blank paper note book you can keep in a pocket with a small pen or pencil ... you might be taking notes like license plates, name tags or names of people or places ... its always faster to just write something down than in taking a shaky photo or tapping away a note on an app

    Wear a big scarf ... for guys or girls ... a scarf comes in handy for all kinds of emergencies including using it as something to cover your mouth, dress a wound, tie something or cover something up.

    Wear a good pair of running shoes ... be prepared to run and be on your feet all day.

    Bring a small backpack and bring a couple bottles of water and some energy bars ... keep it light because you'll be on your feet all day and if things go bad, you might be targeted if you have a large pack ... plus an empty pack can be used to carry things later if you need to.

    Dress for the weather ... if its going to be hot, wear light clothing but if things go bad and you have to stay out over night or longer, bring a light jacket ... if rain is forecast within a day or two, bring a small poncho

    We're so focused on electronics here, but this part can save your ass:

    Bring a small new blank paper note book you can keep in a pocket with a small pen or pencil

    The following is translated from the meager tactical training I've received: Emphasis on the pencil being small. You definitely don't want a full size pencil in your pocket if shit hits the fan and you get tumbled.

    Maybe get a waterproof notepad. But make sure that you can easily rip out pages. Use a single sheet for all the info you don't want the police to have (like all the other burner phone numbers and such) That way you can rip that sheet out and swallow it, if you're about to be captured.

    Also, about the scarfs. I don't know about the US, but at least in my own country, it's illegal to use a mask at protests. Meaning a mask would get you singled out and targeted by law enforcement.

  • Shared here for public benefit.

    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.

    I learned this recently: if you have an iPhone, pressing the lock button five times rapidly will lock it so that you need to enter a passcode, not just FaceID. Useful if you think somebody might forcibly use your face to unlock it

  • Shared here for public benefit.

    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.

    You leave it at home. Take an old factory-reset with a prepaid sim. Keep it off unless you 100% need it.

  • Burner phone ... leave your main one at home ... ABSOLUTELY DO NOT BRING YOUR MAIN PHONE

    Set up your burner phone with one or two accounts to things you might want to upload to ... encrypt as much as you can. Do not load all your social accounts ... only log into the bare minimum. If you are organized, log into temporary or fake or secondary accounts if you can.

    Start the day without any prior history, photos or content on the phone and keep as few contacts as you can ... memorize numbers that are important to you.

    Always be prepared to give up or lose your phone.

    And as always ... SAFETY GLASSES .... bring a pair of industry rated CSA approved safety glasses (try to get a pair with a tint so you can pass them as sunglasses). Look for safety glasses with anything marked ANSI Z87+, sometimes written Z87.1+ (note the plus) rated or CSA Z94.3 rated are ensured to safely withstand a direct high energy strike.

    .... additional things if you want to do more

    Bring a small new blank paper note book you can keep in a pocket with a small pen or pencil ... you might be taking notes like license plates, name tags or names of people or places ... its always faster to just write something down than in taking a shaky photo or tapping away a note on an app

    Wear a big scarf ... for guys or girls ... a scarf comes in handy for all kinds of emergencies including using it as something to cover your mouth, dress a wound, tie something or cover something up.

    Wear a good pair of running shoes ... be prepared to run and be on your feet all day.

    Bring a small backpack and bring a couple bottles of water and some energy bars ... keep it light because you'll be on your feet all day and if things go bad, you might be targeted if you have a large pack ... plus an empty pack can be used to carry things later if you need to.

    Dress for the weather ... if its going to be hot, wear light clothing but if things go bad and you have to stay out over night or longer, bring a light jacket ... if rain is forecast within a day or two, bring a small poncho

    Wear a big scarf ... for guys or girls ... a scarf comes in handy for all kinds of emergencies including using it as something to cover your mouth, dress a wound, tie something or cover something up.

    Everyone should look up what a shemagh is, and all multitude of uses it has. Pretty sure there are plenty of colors that aren't tacticool, which is inevitable when you search for it. If it works for the grunts the US sent to the Middle East, and actual Middle Eastern cultures, it'll work for you. Hitchhikers' Guide to the Galaxy describes how useful it is to carry a towel across the galaxy; this is it.

    Edit: something more that I recalled of when I was in the prepper phase years ago: Marines swear on this thing called a woobie. It's their safety blanket, figuratively and practically. It's basically a quilted fabric liner under a poncho for insulation. Works just as well as blankets if you're going to be crashing somewhere overnight.

  • Shared here for public benefit.

    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.

    people on the internet love to talk about all these great security smart things that they will definitely never do.

    leave valuables at home, wear unremarkable clothes, and write your lawyers number on your arm with a sharpie.

    personally i bring my phone and a leica. ive been to jail for protesting before and in my current situation i just don't care.

  • Why do you need an ID? Leave it in your car if you're driving.

    I don't think there's a single state that requires you to actually carry documentation.

    These are the states that require you to at least verbally state your name, and only if the officer has reasonable suspicion that you have or will commit a crime.

    They can ask your name. You may not have to answer.

    Research your state's law on this before you go. It's in the link.

    Regardless of the law, you can be detained by law enforcement if you cannot prove who you say you are until you can prove it.

  • Regardless of the law, you can be detained by law enforcement if you cannot prove who you say you are until you can prove it.

    If law enforcement was following the law I would not be protesting.

  • Shared here for public benefit.

    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.

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

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    I'm sorry but that capitalisation is really off-putting. You're Not Writing A Headline You Know
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    The result now is that no website will load because the rest of the world will have broadband anyway
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    California is not Colorado nor is it federal No shit, did you even read my comment? Regulations already exist in every state that ride share companies operate in, including any state where taxis operate. People are already not supposed to sexually assault their passengers. Will adding another regulation saying they shouldn’t do that, even when one already exists, suddenly stop it from happening? No. Have you even looked at the regulations in Colorado for ride share drivers and companies? I’m guessing not. Here are the ones that were made in 2014: https://law.justia.com/codes/colorado/2021/title-40/article-10-1/part-6/section-40-10-1-605/#%3A~%3Atext=§+40-10.1-605.+Operational+Requirements+A+driver+shall+not%2Ca+ride%2C+otherwise+known+as+a+“street+hail”. Here’s just one little but relevant section: Before a person is permitted to act as a driver through use of a transportation network company's digital network, the person shall: Obtain a criminal history record check pursuant to the procedures set forth in section 40-10.1-110 as supplemented by the commission's rules promulgated under section 40-10.1-110 or through a privately administered national criminal history record check, including the national sex offender database; and If a privately administered national criminal history record check is used, provide a copy of the criminal history record check to the transportation network company. A driver shall obtain a criminal history record check in accordance with subparagraph (I) of paragraph (a) of this subsection (3) every five years while serving as a driver. A person who has been convicted of or pled guilty or nolo contendere to driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol in the previous seven years before applying to become a driver shall not serve as a driver. If the criminal history record check reveals that the person has ever been convicted of or pled guilty or nolo contendere to any of the following felony offenses, the person shall not serve as a driver: (c) (I) A person who has been convicted of or pled guilty or nolo contendere to driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol in the previous seven years before applying to become a driver shall not serve as a driver. If the criminal history record check reveals that the person has ever been convicted of or pled guilty or nolo contendere to any of the following felony offenses, the person shall not serve as a driver: An offense involving fraud, as described in article 5 of title 18, C.R.S.; An offense involving unlawful sexual behavior, as defined in section 16-22-102 (9), C.R.S.; An offense against property, as described in article 4 of title 18, C.R.S.; or A crime of violence, as described in section 18-1.3-406, C.R.S. A person who has been convicted of a comparable offense to the offenses listed in subparagraph (I) of this paragraph (c) in another state or in the United States shall not serve as a driver. A transportation network company or a third party shall retain true and accurate results of the criminal history record check for each driver that provides services for the transportation network company for at least five years after the criminal history record check was conducted. A person who has, within the immediately preceding five years, been convicted of or pled guilty or nolo contendere to a felony shall not serve as a driver. Before permitting an individual to act as a driver on its digital network, a transportation network company shall obtain and review a driving history research report for the individual. An individual with the following moving violations shall not serve as a driver: More than three moving violations in the three-year period preceding the individual's application to serve as a driver; or A major moving violation in the three-year period preceding the individual's application to serve as a driver, whether committed in this state, another state, or the United States, including vehicular eluding, as described in section 18-9-116.5, C.R.S., reckless driving, as described in section 42-4-1401, C.R.S., and driving under restraint, as described in section 42-2-138, C.R.S. A transportation network company or a third party shall retain true and accurate results of the driving history research report for each driver that provides services for the transportation network company for at least three years. So all sorts of criminal history, driving record, etc checks have been required since 2014. Colorado were actually the first state in the USA to implement rules like this for ride share companies lol.
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    And they've been doing it more blatantly and for longer than most tech companies.
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    Sure. Efficiency isn't everything, though. At the end of the article there are a few people to get you started. Then you can go to your favorites in that list, and follow some of the people THEY are following. Rinse and repeat, follow boosted folks. You'll have 100 souls in no time.