I think that's a stupid reason to take a phone from someone
this post was submitted on 18 Sep 2025
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I would need more information about this story
(I live in Spain and use GrapheneOS BTW). How would police even know it's GrapheneOS? Shit, why would they be looking at my pone in the first place? The only possible situation is: you were arrested for something, as part of investigation they have a warrant to access your phone, they try to unlock it with common tools, they fail, they realize it's GrapheneOS.
Or, scenario 2: they are in a shady neighborhood, they see a guy with a Pixel phone (you can tell because of the camera bar) and they think "that's a strange choice for an unemployed dude sitting in bar whole day" and they assume he's dealing and, I don't know, make a mental note about it.
Excuse me, officer? What exactly are you accusing me of? Doing cocaine? Sweet, aromatic, Bolivian cocaine?
Source?
HEY GUYS, WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT THIS TOTALLY UNTRUE BULLSHIT I JUST MADE UP AND CAN'T PROVIDE A SOURCE FOR?
The title is inaccurate but not far off.
β’ Cops in this country think everyone using a Google Pixel must be a drug dealer (Updated)
"Police in Spain, specifically in the autonomous region of Catalonia, are very alert when they spot someone using a Google Pixel phone. As weird as it sounds, Pixels are highly preferred by those involved in organized crime, according to the Catalan police."
Cops find the stupidest ways to misattribute the mundane as criminal.
The internet: "I for one, am totally outraged. Outraged I say!! And I bet it somehow all Trump/Biden/Obama/Kirk/Kimmels fault!!!! Dont forget to like my comment of popular thing I said!!!".
Unless there is a verified source it's FUD and it's actually not helpful for freedom and privacy.
What I think is that I should probably look into installing GrapheneOS on my Google Pixel.
You should, its honestly crazy how simple the installation process is
Check your banking app first, chances are it won't work on GrapheneOS.
I'm a bit of a luddite in that respect, I don't trust apps for anything that important. I know, it's probably fine, and I probably should, but I don't. Just one of my weird hangups I guess.
You aren't alone. I also refuse to install apps like that. I also really hate it when companies don't have the option to not store my card or personal information.
I'm similar but I don't like the idea of someone swiping my phone and maybe being able to get into my payment apps so while I use online banking, I don't let it save my login information. Is kind of a birch to have to log in everytime, but makes me feel safer
Big false, most work just fine. They do often require the play store and services to work. Need to use the sandboxed Google services.
So, if you're trying to de Google, ya, banking apps won't work, but if you're okay with just increased control and privacy, in you're fine.
Especially if you're a drug dealer.
Arch killed my parents btw.
Should've read the installation guide better.
Once they start just taking your stuff, they are thugs. You deal with them like any other thugs.
I recommend a M84 Zastava.
Sounds like a great way to get yourself killed. They have guns too.
That's why I open carry a W88
ICBM in the back of a truck with the control switch or we riot.
He has the right, but not the ability...
Arch took away his right to remain silent.
That would be treason.
This is the second time I've come across this story.
If you look closely, random people are not being taken aside for being seen with a Pixel as the headline would have you believe.
What is true is that Graphene OS on a Pixel is a popular, easy setup that can't be cracked open with Cellebrite et al., and that makes the piggies very sad. Methinks someone wants readers to fear using Graphene OS.
Also, Graphene has that duress mode, you set a pin/password that when entered locks out storage, does a wipe, while leaving grapheneOS in place. It seems US citizens maybe needing this in the future.
If autocrats manage to fully take over, they'll just enact a policy that assumes you're guilty of the charges if the phone, for whatever reason, gets wiped (especially after entering a code you provided). Your "right to silence" isn't gonna last forever.
You can't fix an abuse of power issue with a technological solution, its only a bandaid, and it will stop working when blood keeps gushing out (aka: the instutions of democracy starts to completely fall apart)
It needs to be a smarter mode where it only removes specified content (apps, browser history, and saved passwords maybe), so that the phone looks plausibly used when it unlocks.
90% of cases they want your chat history and maybe search queries. You would need a decoy history because no history is very suspicious
Lol I'm gonna look sus af since I have zero friends I don't talk to anyone.
Hide an encrypted version of the history in a bunch of memes that make up the entirety of the fake history? Sounds like a great idea if they don't spend too much time looking.
Headline is not true.
A police spokesperson from one Spanish region told that they suspect of people carrying google pixel phones because they are commonly used by drug dealers with GOS installed. It was made more as a comment than as a serious threat.
I have heard nothing about any actual confiscation based on phone OS being made.
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What? Sauce?
Not OP but there is few sources on that :
https://www.androidauthority.com/why-i-use-grapheneos-on-pixel-3575477/
Thanks!
Turns out that OPs heading is a little bit exaggerated, as nobody is confiscating anything.
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