I can’t speak for OP, but in the US, you can be compelled to unlock a phone via fingerprint or face ID. You can’t be compelled to give over your PIN. That violates the right against self incriminating.
Totally true. That’s not the common threat most people need to guard against however. Additionally, at least on Android, the device is relatively eager to force pin usage if the stars don’t align for biometrics
Have you ever had your phone searched by the police or at the border? I haven’t, but I have had someone try to unlock my phone before.
I’d contend most people have a threat model that puts opportunistic access by household members or someone watching them enter their passcode and then snatching the phone and running above border patrol search.
While you can’t change your biometrics, walk me through why that matters. I’m not sharing my biometrics outside of the device, and you can’t submit them remotely, so if you lift a print off of something it doesn’t really get you much without also taking the phone. Once you’re there, you’re a bit beyond the typical phone thief in terms of threat.
The most common vulnerability is having an absurdly weak password, pin or unlock pattern. For those people biometrics is a vast improvement specifically because it’s both secure against likely threats, and it’s just as easy as hitting 5 four times in a row.
Every method has trade offs, and there’s nothing to gain by pretending otherwise. Likewise, I don’t think I would ever say “never use something”, except for some contrived examples.
Which means it’s not secure against the authorities but probably is secure against the average thief and or snooping younger sibling/spouse. So, your threat profile and the use of biometrics/vs password may vary.
If you point a weapon at me in a way that would compel me to help you unlock my phone with fingerprint or face unlock, I promise you it would not be any harder for you to get me to unlock the device with the pin.
If I’m not alive I don’t really care if they get the contents of my phone. My survivors can go through the same process I would for reversing a fraudulent transaction.
And you’re picturing a criminal subduing me and then just crouching over my body and figuring out what financial apps I have and how to use them?
What’s their game plan here? Most stolen phones are resold, not used to access their contents.
Doubtful. The average thief isn’t robbing you at gunpoint. They grab the phone out of your hand and book it.
But even if they did stick around for that, most people use a 4 number pin and that’s basically just as easy as face or fingerprint unlock. Its an additional maybe 2 seconds.
If they can force you to put your finger on the sensor they can force you to give them the pin.
Do any phones even allow 4 digit Pins? Apple doesn’t, and my Samsung doesn’t.
No one can force you to give up the PIN. They can threaten, and you may give in to that threat. But that isn’t forcing, that isn’t against your will.
But, a criminal can get you to unlock your phone with biometrics against your will easily enough - brute strength, render you unconscious, or even dead.
Take this with a grain of salt, considering the actions of the current administration…
But the US Constitution doesn’t make that many distinctions between citizens and non-citizens, especially in the bill of rights, where most individual protections are laid out. The 4th amendment protects you from unwarranted search and seizure, and makes no restrictions based on nationality. The 5th amendment protects you from testifying against yourself. The 1st amendment protects your speech, the government can not suppress your opinions, and equally, they cannot compell you to make statements.
There are some “exceptions” to the 4th amendment, but those specifically have to do with protecting the borders and inspecting imports and exports. IMHO, those exceptions should be unconstitutional, but I’m not a bought and paid for SC justice, so fuck my opinion.
It’s valid for anyone visiting the US. Even if they do so illegally. Its a right given by the constitution and its amendments and those apply to everyone in the US. Importantly, people often forget that the Constitution isn’t a limiting document for the people. It’s a limiting document for the government.
When I rob you, I hold the phone up to your face to unlock it, then I cut off your finger to use it on your banking and crypto apps to transfer all your money.
Why?
It’s not like they’re literally using your face or fingerprint as a password. They’re not even storing them, just a hash tied to an hsm key.
I can’t speak for OP, but in the US, you can be compelled to unlock a phone via fingerprint or face ID. You can’t be compelled to give over your PIN. That violates the right against self incriminating.
Totally true. That’s not the common threat most people need to guard against however. Additionally, at least on Android, the device is relatively eager to force pin usage if the stars don’t align for biometrics
Almost any user are much more likely to encounter a situation where their biometrics are forced and not their password. Passing a border for example.
Biometrics should never be used instead of a password, only as usernames. A password can be changed, your thumbs can’t.
Have you ever had your phone searched by the police or at the border? I haven’t, but I have had someone try to unlock my phone before.
I’d contend most people have a threat model that puts opportunistic access by household members or someone watching them enter their passcode and then snatching the phone and running above border patrol search.
While you can’t change your biometrics, walk me through why that matters. I’m not sharing my biometrics outside of the device, and you can’t submit them remotely, so if you lift a print off of something it doesn’t really get you much without also taking the phone. Once you’re there, you’re a bit beyond the typical phone thief in terms of threat.
The most common vulnerability is having an absurdly weak password, pin or unlock pattern. For those people biometrics is a vast improvement specifically because it’s both secure against likely threats, and it’s just as easy as hitting 5 four times in a row.
Every method has trade offs, and there’s nothing to gain by pretending otherwise. Likewise, I don’t think I would ever say “never use something”, except for some contrived examples.
That’s valid only for americans. And even then: how many of them are crossing country borders regularly?
Which means it’s not secure against the authorities but probably is secure against the average thief and or snooping younger sibling/spouse. So, your threat profile and the use of biometrics/vs password may vary.
Definitely not. The average thief can get you to unlock it with your face or finger far easier than get your PIN.
If you point a weapon at me in a way that would compel me to help you unlock my phone with fingerprint or face unlock, I promise you it would not be any harder for you to get me to unlock the device with the pin.
You assume that you are conscious, or even alive in your scenario.
If I’m not alive I don’t really care if they get the contents of my phone. My survivors can go through the same process I would for reversing a fraudulent transaction.
And you’re picturing a criminal subduing me and then just crouching over my body and figuring out what financial apps I have and how to use them?
What’s their game plan here? Most stolen phones are resold, not used to access their contents.
Doubtful. The average thief isn’t robbing you at gunpoint. They grab the phone out of your hand and book it.
But even if they did stick around for that, most people use a 4 number pin and that’s basically just as easy as face or fingerprint unlock. Its an additional maybe 2 seconds.
If they can force you to put your finger on the sensor they can force you to give them the pin.
Do any phones even allow 4 digit Pins? Apple doesn’t, and my Samsung doesn’t.
No one can force you to give up the PIN. They can threaten, and you may give in to that threat. But that isn’t forcing, that isn’t against your will.
But, a criminal can get you to unlock your phone with biometrics against your will easily enough - brute strength, render you unconscious, or even dead.
My pixel allows a 4 digit pin. Mine is 7 digits but I also don’t use biometrics.
Just had a look and it’s Face/Fingerprint/Pin/Swipe/Pattern/Password.
That’s called force, and against your will.
That’s just fundamentally not understanding how the terms work. A coerced action, or one taken under duress, is not taken of ones own free will.
https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/duress
Is that valid only to USA citizens or foreigners can use that trick too?
Take this with a grain of salt, considering the actions of the current administration…
But the US Constitution doesn’t make that many distinctions between citizens and non-citizens, especially in the bill of rights, where most individual protections are laid out. The 4th amendment protects you from unwarranted search and seizure, and makes no restrictions based on nationality. The 5th amendment protects you from testifying against yourself. The 1st amendment protects your speech, the government can not suppress your opinions, and equally, they cannot compell you to make statements.
There are some “exceptions” to the 4th amendment, but those specifically have to do with protecting the borders and inspecting imports and exports. IMHO, those exceptions should be unconstitutional, but I’m not a bought and paid for SC justice, so fuck my opinion.
It’s valid for anyone visiting the US. Even if they do so illegally. Its a right given by the constitution and its amendments and those apply to everyone in the US. Importantly, people often forget that the Constitution isn’t a limiting document for the people. It’s a limiting document for the government.
When I rob you, I hold the phone up to your face to unlock it, then I cut off your finger to use it on your banking and crypto apps to transfer all your money.
/s