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<h3>FBI Warrant Forced Biometric Unlock of Reporter's Devices</h3>
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<p>On January 14, 2026, FBI agents executed a search warrant at the home of <em>Washington Post</em> reporter <strong>Hannah Natanson</strong>, seizing her phone, two laptops, and a Garmin watch.</p>
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<p>The warrant reportedly included a section explicitly titled <strong>"Biometric Unlock"</strong>, authorizing agents to attempt to unlock seized devices using Natanson's face or fingerprints rather than demanding a passcode.</p>
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<p>Natanson had communicated with more than <strong>1,100 confidential sources</strong> using Signal and other encrypted tools. The warrant created a legal pathway to access those communications <strong>without compelling her to disclose a password</strong>.</p>
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<p>Security and press-freedom experts warned that biometric unlock provisions collapse the practical barrier between possession of a seized device and access to its encrypted contents.</p>
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<imgsrc="images/nytimes-snipit.png" alt="New York Times coverage of the FBI raid">
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<p><strong>Sources:</strong></p>
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<ul>
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<li>Columbia Journalism Review — <em>Nothing Is Secure</em>: <ahref="https://www.cjr.org/news/hannah-natanson-fbi-washington-post-raid-devices-seized-runa-sandvik-security-computer-phone-laptop-sources.php" target="_blank">https://www.cjr.org/news/hannah-natanson-fbi-washington-post-raid-devices-seized-runa-sandvik-security-computer-phone-laptop-sources.php</a></li>
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<li>Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press explainer: <ahref="https://www.rcfp.org/fbi-raid-washington-post-explainer/" target="_blank">https://www.rcfp.org/fbi-raid-washington-post-explainer/</a></li>
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<h2>Legal Protection Matters</h2>
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@@ -202,19 +219,6 @@ <h3>A Real Circuit Split</h3>
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<p>That split makes eventual Supreme Court review likely. Until then, your constitutional protection depends on <strong>where you are</strong>.</p>
<p>On January 14, 2026, FBI agents executed a search warrant at the home of <em>Washington Post</em> reporter <strong>Hannah Natanson</strong>, seizing her phone, two laptops, and a Garmin watch.</p>
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<p>The warrant reportedly included a section explicitly titled <strong>"Biometric Unlock"</strong>, authorizing agents to attempt to unlock seized devices using Natanson's face or fingerprints rather than demanding a passcode.</p>
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<p>Natanson had communicated with more than <strong>1,100 confidential sources</strong> using Signal and other encrypted tools. The warrant created a legal pathway to access those communications <strong>without compelling her to disclose a password</strong>.</p>
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<p>Security and press-freedom experts warned that biometric unlock provisions collapse the practical barrier between possession of a seized device and access to its encrypted contents.</p>
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<p><strong>Sources:</strong></p>
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<ul>
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<li>Columbia Journalism Review — <em>Nothing Is Secure</em>: <ahref="https://www.cjr.org/news/hannah-natanson-fbi-washington-post-raid-devices-seized-runa-sandvik-security-computer-phone-laptop-sources.php" target="_blank">https://www.cjr.org/news/hannah-natanson-fbi-washington-post-raid-devices-seized-runa-sandvik-security-computer-phone-laptop-sources.php</a></li>
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<li>Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press explainer: <ahref="https://www.rcfp.org/fbi-raid-washington-post-explainer/" target="_blank">https://www.rcfp.org/fbi-raid-washington-post-explainer/</a></li>
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<h3>US Border Searches</h3>
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<p>At US ports of entry, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) can search electronic devices without a warrant. The more complex question is what they can <strong>compel</strong>.</p>
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