US prosecutors charge Atlanta man after GrapheneOS phone wipes itself during airport search

Federal prosecutors in Atlanta charged Sam Tunick after a GrapheneOS phone allegedly wiped itself during questioning at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.

The government says the wipe destroyed evidence; the defense says the search was unconstitutional and the privacy feature should not be treated as criminal intent.

The case could become an early test of how courts treat privacy software, auto-wipe features, and border-search powers in digital investigations.