Easy-to-follow digital security advice for people resisting authoritarianism
@activistchecklist.org“It’s easy to claim your powerful hacking tool isn’t being misused if you go out of your way to ensure you don’t know how customers use it,”
ActivistChecklist.org
@activistchecklist.org
@activistchecklist.org@activistchecklist.org> "The government is treating people who exercise their First Amendment rights and seek to hold it accountable as criminal suspects, and that's what we're asking the court to stop,” says JoAnna Suriani, an attorney at Protect Democracy who is representing ICE observers in the case.
@activistchecklist.orgLocal prosecutor opted not to press charges for the protests in a small town where ICE's surveillance center is located. But state figured out a way to press charges against them.
theintercept.com/2026/10/07/i...
From @theintercept.com
@activistchecklist.orgSince 2024, iPhones automatically reboot after 3 days. This makes it harder for attackers (like police forensic devices) to break into your phone. Because everythins is encrypted after a fresh reboot before the first unlock. GrayKey now has a way to keep things unencrypted and prevent the reboot.
@activistchecklist.orgDefinitely do NOT use Meta Muse. See this article about how it started downloading someone's entire Apple Messages database without permission: appleinsider.com/articles/26/...
@activistchecklist.orgAnd finally...
4 - AI Chat auto-delete. If you're using Claude, this helps you auto delete your chat after 30 days so they don't become a risk in the future
@activistchecklist.orgTools we've built:
1 - RiskMapper.app helps you think through which risks are most likely
2 - SocialScrub.app helps you remember which social media accounts you need to lock down
3 - Update checker helps you see if your phone is still receiving security updates
@activistchecklist.orgGood news. Cell-site simulators are used to spy on all cell phones. In the 4th circuit, they now require a warrant to use.
@activistchecklist.orgGood news. Makes it possible for you to delete the signal app and reinstall it (when crossing a border or doing higher risk activism) and just save your recovery key somewhere very safe.
@theintercept.comReposted by @activistchecklist.orgLawyers for an anti-ICE protester tried to argue his shot was a ricochet. The theory was squashed by gaps in the evidence and a judge’s suppression. theintercept.com/2026/09/27/p...
@eff.orgReposted by @activistchecklist.org“This is one part of the surveillance and intelligence wing that ICE is building,” EFF’s @cooperq.com told @fedscoop.bsky.social. “It’s a big part of it, but it’s still just one part. ... It’s going to feed in and be indexed alongside all this other surveillance equipment and pipelines.”
@activistchecklist.orgThe prosecutor in the Broadview Six case was silenced and put on leave when she tried to push back on the federal conspiracy charges and just make them misdemeanor charges instead.
@activistchecklist.orgThe number of Flock abuse and stalking cases is just... staggering. Has anyone collected these into a database yet?
@activistchecklist.orgNow is a perfect time to get ready for when the MAGA regime tries to mess with voting or not seat newly elected officials.
Expect "no work, no school, no shopping" as a response.
Get together with your people to lock down your digital security ahead of time: activistchecklist.org/protest
@activistchecklist.orgiPhone 15 is actually okay as long as you don't get the pro/max (which have AI).
@abacadabber.bsky.socialReposted by @activistchecklist.orgWhat i find most distressing about this is that we can try and lock down our phone all we want, but unless our recipients are also following that same level of protection, our privacy is still at risk
@activistchecklist.orgRead this before upgrading to iOS 27 if you have an iPhone 15 or newer that supports "Apple Intelligence." New AI features might send your data (like Signal messages) off your device to Apple's servers It's absurd that we have to work so hard for our privacy :(
@activistchecklist.orgSo the only way the gov't can discover that you are the person behind the signal account is by seizing your phone. Also, it just makes it easier to have data-only burner phones that doesn't have a phone number associated. Lastly - you could get a Google Play gift card at the store and use that.
@activistchecklist.orgYep. So the following things could be revealed through gov't subpoena: 1) ✅ That you spend $3 on Signal (which implies you get a Signal Login) 2) ✅ The identity on your credit card is connected to your app store account But the specific signal account is still disconnected from the payment.
@activistchecklist.orgClarification: The $3 goes through the app store. Signal has a "zero knowledge" system for payments, which means that DO NOT keep any record of the transaction connected to your account. So you can remain anonymous.