The Justice Department plans to indict GrapheneOS’s “enter emergency password to wipe data” feature as obstruction of an investigation

The U.S. Justice Department is reportedly preparing to charge a man after data on a GrapheneOS device was erased, raising suspicion of obstruction.

According to reports, the phone was wiped when he accidentally entered an emergency erase PIN during questioning at an airport.

The case highlights a clash between privacy-focused security features and law enforcement’s need to preserve evidence.

It could also chill the use of strong privacy tools if users fear those protections may be treated as interference with investigations.