this post was submitted on 11 Jan 2026
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The right to assemble and protest is enshrined in American law, but it can still be dangerous to hit the streets to make your voice heard. Your devices are a treasure trove of information about you, and you may not always know who's collecting that data. Take a few minutes before you go to assess your digital and physical safety. Even if you have nothing to hide, you don't want to accidentally give law enforcement officials any information you didn't intend to share. Follow these tips to lock down your phone before a protest or other peaceful assembly.

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[–] ZombieCyborgFromOuterSpace@piefed.ca 42 points 6 hours ago (3 children)

Just don't bring it. Bring a digital pocket camera instead to document stuff.

Nowadays, you can't use a mobile phone without signing in to some Google service or Apple. It's mandatory. Giving them access to every data you own.

[–] anon_8675309@lemmy.world 1 points 18 minutes ago

That and cell towers….

But a cheap burner. Don’t activate it. Keep it in a faraday pouch. In an emergency remove from faraday pouch and call 911. You can do that on phones you don’t activate.

But everything else, like you said, document with a digital camera.

[–] protogen420@lemmy.blahaj.zone 4 points 1 hour ago (1 children)

I use my android phons without a google acccount without having a custom rom, it is usable just that most people are too ignorant and clueless

I have a Samsung phone and it is mandatory to have a Samsung account to use it.

[–] sureshot0@discuss.online 9 points 4 hours ago (2 children)
[–] blinfabian@feddit.nl 1 points 1 hour ago

e/OS too? :3

[–] floquant@lemmy.dbzer0.com 9 points 4 hours ago (1 children)

With the SIM completely turned off, maybe. But it's still a bad idea.

[–] mostlikelyaperson@lemmy.world 2 points 2 hours ago (1 children)

Yup. It’s a bit of a question of how paranoid are you/you feel you need to be but it may be worth keeping in mind that the baseband modem of any phone is proprietary and runs its own unaudited software the end user has no control over or insight into.

[–] floquant@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2 points 1 hour ago

No need to be paranoid, IMEI/IMSI are built into the protocols. Phone networks were never built with anonymity in mind

[–] mr_sunburn@lemmy.ml 58 points 7 hours ago

This might be relevant for following ICE around or direct action, but at this point there's almost zero personal risk from attending something like a rally or a march.

My relatives and even friends my age are afraid to go to protests. They read stuff like this, and it acts as demobilization messaging. In my experience, once you get them to go once they're no longer afraid to engage, but there's an initial fear and anticipatory obedience that has to be overcome.

inb4 protests do nothing: getting people to stick their toe in the water helps build commitment that will one day be necessary to gain critical mass for more organized disobedience.

[–] randombullet@programming.dev 13 points 6 hours ago (1 children)

I would like to bring the attention to LoRa.

Meshtastic is a good example of leveraging LoRa.

[–] anon_8675309@lemmy.world 1 points 17 minutes ago

I really really hope that this takes off.

[–] GreenKnight23@lemmy.world 59 points 10 hours ago (1 children)

Going to a Protest? Don't Bring Your Phone

FTFY

[–] BradleyUffner@lemmy.world 11 points 9 hours ago (5 children)

Someone's gotta record the fascism.

[–] PlutoniumAcid@lemmy.world 6 points 6 hours ago

Then use.... a camera??

[–] GreenKnight23@lemmy.world 19 points 9 hours ago

cameras exist.

[–] discocactus@lemmy.world 4 points 8 hours ago (1 children)

Pretty easy to take video on an old phone without a SIM, or with a cheapo burner sim.

[–] BrianTheeBiscuiteer@lemmy.world 3 points 7 hours ago (1 children)

Are there "burner sims" you can get nowadays that don't require online activation (i.e. they can easily trace the sim back to you)?

[–] Trilogy3452@lemmy.world 2 points 5 hours ago

Phreeli, if you pay using crypto that can keep you anonymous

[–] RightEdofer@lemmy.ca 2 points 7 hours ago

Someone will (and probably better). There are more cameras at protests than ever in history. What’s missing is mass action by complacent people.

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[–] baller_w@lemmy.zip 8 points 7 hours ago (1 children)

Faraday bag all electronic items; phone, smartwatch; hell, I’d even bag my car keys. Cover your face, especially the eye area. Make your voice heard, but don’t be a data point.

[–] anon_8675309@lemmy.world 1 points 15 minutes ago

Yeah. I see so many protesters with their face not covered. Cover your face!!!

Also, dress like them. You want to create as much confusion as possible.

[–] empireOfLove2@lemmy.dbzer0.com 67 points 12 hours ago (3 children)

Don't bring your phone period. Any and all devices can be broken into by law enforcement. Buy a burner with cash if you need some kind of communication.

[–] anon_8675309@lemmy.world 1 points 13 minutes ago

Yes a burner that you don’t activate. Keep it in a faraday bag. In an emergency you can take it out and call 911.

[–] Zorsith@lemmy.blahaj.zone 20 points 6 hours ago

Its not the device cracking that's the problem; its the "your device was identified at the protest we have labeled a riot and has been tracked to your home, which we will now raid in the middle of the night".

[–] captainlezbian@lemmy.world 10 points 8 hours ago (1 children)

And bring a separate video camera

[–] db2@lemmy.world 8 points 8 hours ago

No, , this isn't the 90s. You want a many copies as possible immediately, later might not happen.

[–] nutsack@lemmy.dbzer0.com 33 points 10 hours ago* (last edited 10 hours ago)

I bring my phone, and my wallet, and my keys, and a $7,000 camera, and my lawyer's phone number in my head.

they can suck my balls

always film cops

[–] Carmakazi@piefed.social 103 points 13 hours ago (1 children)

IMO just having your personal device on you in the presence of a protest puts you in danger. They have ample tools to track cellular devices that basically cannot be guarded against without disabling the function altogether, such as with a Faraday bag. They will catch and log that you were at a protest, and use that against you later.

[–] U7826391786239@lemmy.zip 52 points 12 hours ago (1 children)

don't leave out the fact that they'll just shoot you in the face for no reason, and then get "absolute immunity"

[–] artyom@piefed.social 26 points 9 hours ago

And then go on TV and call you a terrorist 15 minutes later.

[–] suicidaleggroll@lemmy.world 36 points 12 hours ago (17 children)

Shut off and leave your phone at home, buy a pay-as-you-go to bring with you for emergency contact/coordination

[–] partial_accumen@lemmy.world 47 points 12 hours ago (3 children)

Shut off and leave your phone at home, buy a pay-as-you-go to bring with you for emergency contact ~~/coordination~~

Leave the pay-as-you-go phone powered off too, and only power it up if you actually have to use it. If you have to use it once, you need to get a replacement for a future event.

I'm thinking perhaps something like Meshtastic transmitters and receivers should be used for coordination instead.

[–] 7U5K3N@lemmy.dbzer0.com 15 points 11 hours ago (1 children)

Meshtastic is exactly what needs to be implemented

I ran across that instance the other day and immediately thought about coordination.

It's like sneaker net for piracy.

[–] itsathursday@lemmy.world 8 points 11 hours ago

Fuck yeah, hack the planet

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[–] acosmichippo@lemmy.world 13 points 11 hours ago* (last edited 11 hours ago)

leave your primary phone ON at home.

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[–] resipsaloquitur@lemmy.world 29 points 12 hours ago* (last edited 9 hours ago) (2 children)

If it makes you feel better, go nuts.

But they have Face ID, gait ID, they have the signal from your cellular-equipped car, on and on. Even if your phone is “off” it’s transmitting an ID for antitheft purposes. Your smartwatch is leaking your location, and your smart tags.

Leave the car at home? They can track your public transit card via the credit card you used to fill it.

Stay home and post online? Palantir has Reddit posts from deleted accounts they will dig up to torpedo your future political ambitions as they did with Graham Platner.

We are all on the regime’s naughty list. Might as well make the most of it and demonstrate peacefully. And without a mask so you don’t look like an agent provocateur.

It’s Spartacus time.

[–] acosmichippo@lemmy.world 13 points 11 hours ago* (last edited 11 hours ago) (2 children)

there are less antagonistic looking ways to mask yourself, such as cute inflatable animal suits.

[–] resipsaloquitur@lemmy.world 12 points 11 hours ago

100%. Love the frog suits.

[–] Whostosay@sh.itjust.works 4 points 8 hours ago

Good look running when you need to in that, the way it's looking lately, the need will be there.

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[–] jaschen306@sh.itjust.works 11 points 11 hours ago (3 children)

Would an old school walkie talkie be a better solution? You want to be able to communicate within a group in case shit happen

[–] Voroxpete@sh.itjust.works 10 points 10 hours ago

That depends what you're trying to solve. For a lot of people, they're still gonna need their phone. I don't think "Just use a walkie talkie bro" would read as very helpful advice to the average person.

If, however, you are the sort of person organizing a protest or other similar activity, yes, absolutely, walkie tallies are great. A lot of people who do serious political activism talk about how radio is still the most resilient communication method. Not fool-proof, you definitely need to study up on the limitations, but an invaluable tool to be aware of.

If you are going to a protest as a group, and you have the resources to invest a few hundred bucks, getting a set of walkie-talkies for the group plus a dedicated burner one responsible person to carry (maybe someone who will be in radio range but clear of the actual happenings) is also a solid strategy, but we also shouldn't be acting like "Going as a group" and "spending a few hundred dollars" are prerequisites for being politically active. There need to be solutions for everyone.

[–] rc__buggy@sh.itjust.works 8 points 10 hours ago* (last edited 10 hours ago)

I think FRS is the only thing legally available without a license. You can buy GMRS radios on Amazon that will communicate with FRS radios on all of the FRS channels, see here:

https://wiki.radioreference.com/index.php/FRS/GMRS_combined_channel_chart

However, these radios are VERY limited in an urban area with lots of concrete towers. In my experience the GMRS radios on "high power" really only go one little valley over out in the woods. In the city you might get two or three blocks because of all the concrete. You are required to have a license to use GMRS and identify your station every 15 minutes but almost nobody does it. Hell, I listen to the local walmart using GMRS and you're not even supposed to use it for commercial purposes.

Maybe Meshtastic? That's a radio I haven't messed with and I don't know about it's performance in an urban environment.

Ear piece highly recommended. The audio is not like a phone call and in a loud environment you will not be able to copy. Practice beforehand because radio is not like a phone call, you need to have some experience.

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[–] DaMummy@lemmy.world 11 points 12 hours ago (1 children)

What's the plan for having your phone at home? They're going door to door and shooting innocent white American citizens.

[–] GhostPain@lemmy.world 8 points 11 hours ago (1 children)

What's the plan for having your phone at home?

#00 inserts for my pump action wireless hole punch.

[–] archonet@lemy.lol 1 points 7 hours ago* (last edited 6 hours ago)

No no, you'll need slugs if you want to hole-punch any body armor.

Not that I would know what you aim on using your wireless hole-punch for.

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