Washington Post Raid Is a Frightening Reminder: Turn Off Your Phone’s Biometrics Now

Government Agencies Can Now Unlock Your Phone Using Your Face or Fingerprint in a "Search and Seizure"

A recent raid on the home of Washington Post reporter Hannah Natanson has left many wondering about the extent to which government agencies can access their personal devices. According to a search warrant obtained by The Intercept, law enforcement personnel were given permission to attempt to bypass biometric authentication methods, such as fingerprint or facial recognition, in order to unlock Natanson's phone.

The warrant specifically authorized investigators to use Natanson's face or fingers to unlock her device, even though she had not provided any information about the type of biometric authentication used on her devices. This raises significant concerns about individual privacy and the potential for government overreach.

Andrew Crocker, surveillance litigation director at the Electronic Frontier Foundation, notes that this is a disturbing development in the ongoing struggle against government surveillance. "Biometric unlocking can be a form of 'testimony' that is protected by the 5th Amendment," he said, highlighting the need for greater protection of individuals' constitutional rights.

Experts advise journalists to disable biometrics on their devices when they are at risk of being searched, such as during protests or border crossings. Instead, they recommend using alphanumeric passcodes, which can be more secure than fingerprint or facial recognition methods.

The recent raid on Natanson's home serves as a stark reminder of the need for vigilance in protecting our personal information and digital rights. As one expert noted, "It’s safer to unlock your devices using an alphanumeric passphrase."

[Image of a person looking over their shoulder with a concerned expression ]

[Animated GIF of a phone unlocking with a fingerprint, followed by a red "X" marked through it ]

[Footage of a person's face being scanned with a flashlight and a worried expression ]

[A screenshot of an alphanumeric passcode entry on a phone, with a security lock icon ️]

this is some crazy stuff... I mean, we're living in times where govt agencies can basically just walk into someone's home and try to hack their phone without so much as a warrant being required . It's like something straight out of a spy movie. And the fact that they didn't even need Hannah Natanson's consent to try and bypass her biometric authentication is just plain unsettling .

I'm all for security and law enforcement, but not when it comes at the cost of our personal freedom . If the government needs to access someone's phone or device, shouldn't they have to go through proper channels first? It seems like this kind of thing is just a recipe for abuse and overreach .

I've heard experts say that disabling biometrics on your device can be a good idea when you're at risk of being searched... but what about when you're not? Shouldn't we all have some semblance of security and control over our own devices?

Ugh, this is just so depressing . I mean, I get that governments need to investigate crimes and whatnot, but this level of access to our personal info is just not right. I remember when the big deal was with AOL's password crunching fiasco back in 2001 , now we're facing biometric hacking? It's like, can't we just keep our devices secure already?

And what really gets me is that even though Natanson didn't give any info about her biometrics, the government still decided to try and access them anyway. That's some serious disregard for individual rights right there . I guess it's all about finding new ways to snoop around online without leaving a trail .

I wish more people would speak out against this kind of overreach, you know? We need to make sure our digital rights are protected and that governments don't become too Big Brother-ish . Maybe we can start by just being more mindful of what info we share online and taking steps to secure our devices .

omg u guys this is so not right like what if they just wanna search ur phone but dont no how 2 unlock it?? thats literally a total invasion of privacy! and its not just natanson's case, its like everywhere law enforcement is just gonna start searching ppl's phones left & right. we need 2 be more careful w/ our biometrics, esp 4 journalists who are already under scrutiny

I'm low-key freaking out about this . Like, who needs that kind of access to their phone? It's already hard enough to keep our online lives private, but now they're basically saying they can just walk in and take our stuff whenever they want . And what's with the lack of transparency about what biometric info they need? It's like, "Hey, we're gonna try to unlock your phone... or not" . This is some serious Big Brother vibes, and I don't think it's cool at all . We need to start using more secure methods, like alphanumeric passcodes, stat .

Ugh, this is soooo scary ... like how do we even know who's watching us? I mean, I get it, security is important but come on! You can't just try to bypass our biometric stuff without asking first . What if they found out some super sensitive info on my phone and then used that against me? And now everyone's all like "oh, just use alphanumeric passcodes" but how do we even remember those things?

omg how r u guys feeling about this?? they can just use ur face or finger 2 unlock ur phone w/o even asking lol whats next? like they got a warrant 2 break into ur home but now they get 2 break into ur digital world 2 like we r living in some dystopian novel. cant believe they dont care about our privacy anymore its like they think we r just a bunch of sheep who will just walk around w/ ur faces & fingers out in public for anyone 2 see lol no way ppl need 2 be protected 4 real.

omg is this real? like they can just break into ur phone with ur face or fingerprint? that's so not cool think about all the ppl who have facial recognition on their phones... it's like, totally not secure anymore. i mean i get it govts need to do their thing but this is just too much power . can we pls just stick with alphanumeric passcodes? ️

I'm still trying to wrap my head around this new development . I mean, who needs that kind of access to their own phone? It's like having a virtual key to your whole digital life . And what if the government decides to use it for something shady? The thought of those facial recognition scans making their way into our personal devices is just creepy . Experts are right, though - we need to be extra careful about disabling biometrics when we're in sensitive situations. I'm definitely going to make sure my phone is set to alphanumeric mode from now on . It's a small thing, but it's better to be safe than sorry!

Can you even believe this?! Government agencies can now just try and guess your face or fingerprints to unlock your phone? It's like something out of a sci-fi movie! What's next, them trying to hack into our smart homes? This is seriously a concern for all us smartphone users. I mean, I get it, security is important but come on, who needs that kind of power?

The idea that they're just going to try and figure out your biometric info without even asking is pretty terrifying. What if they can't get it right? Do we all have to live in fear of our phones being unlocked by some rogue cop?

I totally agree with experts saying we should disable biometrics on our devices when we're at risk of being searched. That way, we can keep our info safe. Alphanumeric passcodes are the way to go, imo! It's always better to be safe than sorry, especially in these times.

Ugh this is getting out of hand I mean i get it we have rules in place but some stuff just feels too invasive even with all the tech in place can't we think about what's best for individuals not just governments

This is so worrying! I mean, I know the government needs to do their job and all that, but come on! Can't they just ask for a password or something? The idea of them being able to unlock my phone using my face or fingerprint is literally terrifying. What's next? Unlocking my fridge or something? And what about people who are in hiding from bad guys? Do they have no other way out? This is some serious Big Brother stuff...

this is super scary that gov agencies can just barge in and try to access ur phone like dat think about it, what happens when they have ur face or finger unlock ur device? it's like giving them a backdoor into ur most private info... i mean, we r always warned about the importance of password protection but now it seems like biometric auth is just as vulnerable anyway, it's good to know that there are experts like Andrew Crocker who are fighting for our rights and stuff... maybe we should all start disabling biometrics on our devices too?

This is so messed up! The fact that they can just walk into someone's home and try to bypass their phone's biometric lock without even asking first? It's like they think they have a magical key to access our private info. I'm all for keeping the streets safe, but this is totally overkill. What's next? They going to start using our smart home devices against us too?

omg u guys this is like super scary! so now gov agencies can just walk up 2 ur house & unlock ur phone w/ ur face or fingerprint? that's like total invasion of privacy lol. i mean i get it, they wanna investigate, but cmon, thats not how it works.

i think its really important for ppl to be aware of this & take steps 2 protect themselves. disabling biometrics is a good start, but alphanum passcodes r way more secure. dont let gov agencies take ur digital rights away

this is soooo not cool what's next gonna be cops showing up at ur doorstep w/ a search warrant 4 ur laptop 7& asking them 2 search through every single file on it?!

or how about we just make our phones super hard 2 crack w/ alphanumeric passcodes 7& no biometric authentication at all! that way gov agencies are stuck w/ their old-school methods like searching thru ur trash or asking u 4 a password

Ugh , this is soooo worrying . I mean, who needs that kind of access, right? It's like they're just waiting for someone to slip up and then BAM! They've got all our info at their fingertips. And what's the point of even having biometric security if it's just gonna be a rubber stamp for the government? I mean, Hannah Natanson didn't even know what kind of security she had on her phone - that's basically an invasion of privacy right there . And now everyone's gotta start worrying about disabling biometrics or using those annoying passcodes... like who's got time for that? It's just another way for the government to monitor us without us even knowing it .