Federal agents wanted to search his phone — now they say the trick he used to stop them is a crime

A simple check at the airport has become a national conversation after an activist used the ultimate trick to stop his phone from being searched.

The high-profile stunt, now coming to light, has kicked off a fresh round of debate about the justified reach of government power into your personal data.

Samuel Tunick was allegedly on a federal watch list when he was stopped at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport while returning from a vacation last year.

‘It just seems like a good idea to protect my private data.’

Tunick is a known activist associated with a movement that fights against what progressives labeled “Cop City” in Atlanta. This refers to a police and fire training center that was erected in the southern city in spring 2025.

Tunick was stopped by