*Washington Post Raid Is a Frightening Reminder: Turn Off Your Phone’s
Biometrics Now
*
/The search warrant to raid a Washington Post reporter’s home shows how
authorities can open your phone without your consent.
/
Nikita Mazurov
January 30 2026, 11:13 a.m.
The recent federal raid on the home of Washington Post reporter Hannah
Natanson isn’t merely an attack by the Trump administration on the free
press. It’s also a warning to anyone with a smartphone.
Included in the search and seizure warrant for the raid on Natanson’s
home is a section titled “Biometric Unlock,” which explicitly authorized
law enforcement personnel to obtain Natanson’s phone and both hold the
device in front of her face and to forcibly use her fingers to unlock
it. In other words, a judge gave the FBI permission to attempt to bypass
biometrics: the convenient shortcuts that let you unlock your phone by
scanning your fingerprint or face.
It is not clear if Natanson used biometric authentication on her
devices, or if the law enforcement personnel attempted to use her face
or fingers to unlock her devices. Natanson and the Washington Post did
not respond to multiple requests for comment. The FBI declined to comment.
[...]
continua qui:
https://theintercept.com/2026/01/30/washington-post-hannah-natanson-fbi-biometrics-unlock-phone/
