this post was submitted on 11 Jan 2026
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356
Going to a Protest? Don't Bring Your Phone Without Doing This First (www.pcmag.com)
submitted 2 days ago by throws_lemy@lemmy.nz to c/technology@lemmy.world
137 comments fedilink hide all child comments
 

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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[–] chaospatterns@lemmy.world 2 points 2 days ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

I thought this was using SDKs embedded in apps and advertising platforms. This is a different threat model. You need to block ads and prefer using websites instead of apps which have more access to device info like the advertising ID.

If you've got an Android, go to Settings, search for ads, and find the advertising ID and delete the ID. It's a stable identifier that can be used to identify your phone.

Switch to more private browsers like Firefox for Mobile and install uBlock Origin.

EDIT: I'm not saying this will protect you against IMSI catchers or tower based drag nets. In addition to not bringing your phone, when you do go home you need an entirely different set of tools to protect yourself.