this post was submitted on 11 Jan 2026
357 points (96.4% liked)

Technology

78705 readers
5133 users here now

This is a most excellent place for technology news and articles.


Our Rules


  1. Follow the lemmy.world rules.
  2. Only tech related news or articles.
  3. Be excellent to each other!
  4. Mod approved content bots can post up to 10 articles per day.
  5. Threads asking for personal tech support may be deleted.
  6. Politics threads may be removed.
  7. No memes allowed as posts, OK to post as comments.
  8. Only approved bots from the list below, this includes using AI responses and summaries. To ask if your bot can be added please contact a mod.
  9. Check for duplicates before posting, duplicates may be removed
  10. Accounts 7 days and younger will have their posts automatically removed.

Approved Bots


founded 2 years ago
MODERATORS
 

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.

you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
[–] mr_sunburn@lemmy.ml 76 points 3 days ago (3 children)

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.

[–] sem@piefed.blahaj.zone 19 points 3 days ago (2 children)

I go to protests without my phone, and I'm afraid every time.

I get that nothing is likely to happen to me, but it could. I get that this is am irrational fear. But idk strategically what to do.

[–] AngryCommieKender@lemmy.world 19 points 3 days ago

ICE has told the press that they are "at war." It's not an irrational fear.

[–] Madzielle@lemmy.dbzer0.com 10 points 3 days ago

I don't think your fear is irrational, for whatever that's worth

[–] SpacetimeMachine@lemmy.world 9 points 3 days ago

ICE has literally started going door to door in Minnesota looking for immigrants and activists. It's already starting, people need to be protecting their privacy now.

[–] CommanderCloon@lemmy.ml 8 points 3 days ago (1 children)

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.

No. If the data exists at any point, then a future threat will be able to exploit it, so full on nazi style fascism might not be here yet, but when it is, you'll be in danger. Data can sleep forever before it becomes a threat.

It already is, with taking a digital device!