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Natanson said she does not use biometrics for her devices, but after investigators told her to try, “when she applied her index finger to the fingerprint reader, the laptop unlocked.”
Use biometric security at your own risk.
this post was submitted on 04 Feb 2026
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Privacy
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Just don't. No pussyfootin' around. Every single person the US has access to is a possible "suspect" for anything it claims.
Act like it, citizens. Protect yourself, then help others to do likewise.✊🏼
So tired of the "if you're not doing anything wrong, then you have nothing to hide" and "if you care too much about privacy, then you seem suspicious" lines.
People have given away their own data security little by little, and the surveillance state is already cooked into most of our hardware. I've raised a fuss about it all along the way, and people always thought I was some weirdo doomsday conspiracy theorist, or hiding something on my hard drives...
So basically, the reporter said she doesnt use it, but that was just a lie she got called out on?
Or it was setup at one point by whomever assists her with IT and she forgot. Lots of possibilities when you're dealing with humans
That makes the most sense. It was probably set up the day she got it as part of the onboarding process and then she never used it and forgot about doing something that took 30 seconds several years ago.
Even then, why not just use the wrong finger(s) enough times to disable biometrics there too?
They "assisted" her to put her finger on the fingerprint reader (i.e., grabbed her hand and forced her finger onto it).
Ah no good then :/
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The only thing of mine that uses biometrics is my phone, and that is very easy to put into lockdown mode.
I've never used this. Not in the entire time I've owned phones and computers.
For those protesting ICE right now, do NOT use face recognition or finger prints. Turn that shit off and never turn them back on.
Six presses on the power button and iPhones disable biometrics. I believe for most threat models, biometrics is better than typing a passcode, between the hotspots of fingerprints and shoulder surfing risk. Lock out biometrics before sleeping or other leaving unattended scenarios if raids are a risk
Not sure about the laptops; probably best to do a password there.
Biometrics are an issue because in most jurisdictions (not just the US but globally), you can't be coerced to provide your password/passcode - but absolutely nothing stops LE from forcing you to provide biometric data to unlock the device.
That’s the point of the biometric lockout. Most people are not in a situation where they can be compelled at any second to unlock their device; however if they’re pulled over or on community patrol, they can press six times and it disables the biometrics.
Just tested it and can confirm it works. For those that don't have their phone handy or are worried about trying it:
- Just 5 presses is enough. You could do 6, or just spam the power button to make sure you've got at least 5 in. Any presses after the 5th don't do anything different
- when you do it, it opens up a menu with options to:
- Power off
- Make an emergency phone call to 911 (there is no option to select an emergency contact. It just calls 911 immediately)
- Show emergency medical info
- Afterwards, you need to enter in your pin/passcode to unlock your phone. I have Face ID and the ability to unlock my phone via my Apple Watch. Both methods are disabled until I unlock my phone with my code.
Just to clarify and expand a bit: It’s 5 presses not 6, and you can do it in your pocket because it gives you a haptic feedback signal when it works, of a quick vibration in a unique pattern.
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It depends on what your risk profile looks like. Sure, from a generalized risk standpoint punching in a number is vulnerable to physical snooping, but for folks who live in police states the greater risk is your information being accessed by people who physically have you in custody and can physically force you to use your biometrics to unlock a device.
between the hotspots of fingerprints and shoulder surfing risk
If ICE is close enough to you to shoulder surf you, they are close enough to manhandle you, shove you and """assist""" you into touching your privates (aka biometrics).
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turning the phone off also disables the biometrics if you turn it on again, it requires whatever lockout method you used previously
on Android, you can Press and hold the power button. a menu with 4 options will appear, the top right is the lockdown.
My phone decided to change what holding the power button does at some point, so watch out for that.
For those wanting to ensure theirs does the same, at least for Samsung, it's under:
Advanced Features > Side Button > Long Press
Mine doesn't even have the option. Seriously made a mistake with going samsung.
It's been a while since I had a Samsung, but iirc there's an option to add it to your power menu.
More importantly, rebooting or powering off the phone is more secure anyways. You should just do that in 99% of circumstances.
What's the difference between lockdown and just rebooting your phone (putting it into the first-run state)?
Rebooting your phone actually encrypts the device, and it will stay encrypted until the first unlock. But the side button simply disables biometrics. The phone is still unencrypted on the backend, so other workarounds (like some sort of exploit that allows them to bypass the PIN) will allow them to see the phone’s contents.
This is particularly important because cops can image a phone after they seize it, to try and hack later. If they manage to image the unencrypted phone, that whole process is much easier. But if the phone is encrypted when they image it, they’ll basically just get white noise.
Lock down will do things like disable biometrics, but the phone has still been unlocked and is no longer in a fully encrypted state like it is if powered off.
This does not work on all android phones. Does nothing on the OnePlus.
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Oooohh, I always thought that was screen lock.
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every time such a storie appears i assume its a cover lie / marketing for apple.
Do they return the device afterwards like “oh well, here ya go then” durp durp. Or do they keep it “for evidence” out of spite?
To get back the seized property, owners must prove it was not involved in criminal activity.
Well, that just sounds amazing and not at all exploitable
Seems a bit opposite of the whole "innocent until proven guilty" thing
Seized property under rico works the exact opposite, you have to prove your property innocent.
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I once met a guy who robbed a bank with a fake gun. (There was once an article somewhere but this was maybe 12 years ago.) He did some time in prison and he said they gave him the fake gun back afterwards.
Did they say «see you later»?
Why would they give you your shit back? They're cops, not humans.
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Got I hate fucking paywalls
Here’s an archive link for you.
In the future, you can go to archive.ph and put in the url and it’s usually already been archived. There are some paywalls it doesn’t get through, but it handles most of them.
I know but it irritates me to add that step for every single article (how is OP viewing it too?)
Blessed is the OP who simply provides the archived link as well
When I’m in mobile I often won’t even bother and just go about my day
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Remember iPhone users: 5 quick presses of the side button will disable biometric unlock and require a PIN.
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Paywalled.
If you just want to learn about Lockdown Mode, here ya go:
In case anyone is wondering what Lockdown Mode on Apple Devices does (it's not just disabling biometrics): https://support.apple.com/en-gb/105120
Why is the FBI searching journalist's devices?
Oh wait, it's 2026. Yeah, that tracks...
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