2026-09-03 00:51 UTC
It's been widely reported that former Rep. Eric Swalwell, a longtime Trump critic under investigation for sexual assault, had his electronics confiscated at an airport by the FBI last month. It's messy story in which facts are still emerging.
But what caught my eye as a surveillance nerd was this (paywalled) story https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/2026/09/eric-swalwell-air-marshals-fbi/688489/ about his flight in. Apparently a team of Air Marshalls was assigned to watch him in flight and attempt to shoulder surf any passwords he entered en route.
Replies (1)
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@SomeAnoTooter@mastodon.online 2026-09-03 05:25
@mattblaze@federate.social besides the legality, this/cameras catching you typing your phone pin let me believe, that pin is not much more safe, even less safe, than using Swipe gestures. Those I could do in a state where I hide my screen even for myself, but pin I have to look and need more time for fewer digits. So I question enforcements about pin usage like from @GrapheneOS@grapheneos.social ? I'm not a special target but I would like a more secure option which biometrics cannot provide, as those enable forced entry easily.