Phone Wipes and Red Scares Target Dissent
July 30, 2026
Federal prosecutors and the State Department are weaponizing terrorism memos and border stops to criminalize activists, professors, and digital privacy practices. By fabricating links between domestic organizers and foreign adversaries like Cuba, the administration is manufacturing a new Red Scare to justify executive overreach and intimidate political opposition.
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‘The Government Hopes To Set a Precedent’: An Interview With the Man Charged for Allegedly Wiping His GrapheneOS Phone
The U.S. government has charged Samuel Tunick with allegedly typing in a passcode to wipe his phone before officers could search it. “I hope people understand that the charges against me are meant to intimidate people,” he said.
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How the US is inciting a global fight against ‘far-left’ protesters
Under the pretext of fighting ‘terrorism’, the Trump administration warned allies to back its political persecution
- structural power
- geopolitics
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Rubio’s Paranoid Cuba Report Designed to “Justify a Military Attack on Cuba,” Says Democratic Rep.
Did Cuba foment Black Lives Matter and anti-ICE protests? The State Department seems to think so. The post Rubio’s Paranoid Cuba Report Designed to “Justify a Military Attack on Cuba,” Says Democratic Rep. appeared first on The Intercept.
- structural power
- geopolitics
- OSINT methodology
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Trump is sowing fear over Cuba, terrorism and the ‘radical left’. This is what could come next
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio is again taking aim at Cuba. This time, however, the Trump administration is framing Havana as a decades-long sponsor of terrorism and espionage that has helped cultivate the “radical left” in the United States. As part of this, the administration is making pains to…
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“Clapping Is a First Amendment Right:” An Interview With the Person Arrested for Clapping at a Data Center Meeting
"I have a right to speak. I'm here to speak. I have a right to clap, and if you want me out, you're going to have to drag me out."
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Trump Admin’s Campaign Against ‘Radical Left Terrorism’ Is Built On A National Security Memo With No Congressional Approval
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. A little-noticed presidential national security directive is now the legal engine behind a wave of terrorism prosecutions against left-wing protesters. That domestic campaign now has an int…
- media and technology
- AI governance
- structural power
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Trump administration attacks US left, alleging Cuba ties: Key takeaways
US report says the beleaguered government in Havana is the 'connective tissue' of a global 'anti-American coalition'.
- geopolitics
- structural power
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The professor facing prison in ‘antifa’ case: ‘They want to scare all who oppose ICE’
Erik Davis is accused by the government of a ‘conspiracy’ to obstruct ICE – experts say it’s part of a pattern to criminalize lawful organizing and ruin activists’ lives Erik Davis was driving to a medical appointment in St Paul, Minnesota, on 16 June when federal agents surrounded his car. “They ha…
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Is it illegal to trick the US government into wiping your phone during a questionably legal search?
A Georgia man was charged with a felony for allegedly wiping his phone while being questioned by Customs and Border Protection. Samuel Tunick had something in common with others who have had their devices searched at airports: He was an activist. Unlike others who have had their phones seized with n…
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New poll shows confusion over Democratic Socialists of America ideals
Democratic socialists face mixed understanding, with 49% of Americans saying they grasp their policies, poll shows.
- geopolitics
- structural power
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Donald Trump has launched another ‘Red Scare’ in the US – it’s a favourite tactic of the right
President Donald Trump’s recent speech at the Mount Rushmore National Memorial was a key moment in his carefully choreographed America 250 weekend. Though partisan and rambling in typical Trumpian style, the speech stood out for its focus on a theme which has increasingly dominated his rhetoric over…
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