https://theintercept.com/2026/01/30/washington-post-hannah-natanson-fbi-biometrics-unlock-phone/ Skip to main content Support Us Support Us [ ] [Search] * Midterms * Justice * War on Gaza * Venezuela * Unmasking ICE * Chilling Dissent Support Us * Special Investigations * Voices * Podcasts * Press Freedom Defense Fund * Join the Newsletter * About * Contact Us * More Ways to Donate * Impact & Reports * Jobs * Become a Source * * * * * * * * * (c) THE INTERCEPT ALL RIGHTS RESERVED Terms of Use Privacy * Midterms * Justice * War on Gaza * Venezuela * Unmasking ICE * Chilling Dissent * About * Support Us Washington Post Raid Is a Frightening Reminder: Turn Off Your Phone's Biometrics Now The search warrant to raid a Washington Post reporter's home shows how authorities can open your phone without your consent. [TI_Avat] Nikita Mazurov January 30 2026, 11:13 a.m. Share * Copy link * Share on Facebook * Share on Bluesky * Share on X * Share on LinkedIn * Share on WhatsApp A finger hovers above an iPhone displaying an image of a fingerprint on February 18, 2020 in Berlin, Germany. An iPhone displays an image of a fingerprint on Feb. 18, 2020, in Berlin. Photo: Thomas Trutschel/Photothek via Getty Images The recent federal raid on the home of Washington Post reporter Hannah Natanson isn't merely an attack by the Trump administration on the free press. It's also a warning to anyone with a smartphone. Included in the search and seizure warrant for the raid on Natanson's home is a section titled "Biometric Unlock," which explicitly authorized law enforcement personnel to obtain Natanson's phone and both hold the device in front of her face and to forcibly use her fingers to unlock it. In other words, a judge gave the FBI permission to attempt to bypass biometrics: the convenient shortcuts that let you unlock your phone by scanning your fingerprint or face. Most Read [crop_HSI-Badges-Lede-e1769532549708] These Patches Are Clues to Identifying Immigration Agents Nick Turse Apple CEO Tim Cook departs a business leaders reception with President Donald Trump at the World Economic Forum annual meeting in Davos on January 21, 2026. Apple Workers Are Livid That Tim Cook Saw "Melania" Movie Hours After CBP Killed Pretti Sam Biddle MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA - JANUARY 22: Border Patrol Commander Gregory Bovino speaks during a press conference at the Bishop Henry Whipple Federal on January 22, 2026 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Bovino, joined by ICE Executive Associate Director of Enforcement and Removal Operations Marcos Charles, addressed ongoing immigration enforcement operations in the state. The Trump administration has sent a reported 3,000 federal plus federal agents into the area, with more on the way, as they make a push to arrest undocumented immigrants in the region. (Photo by Stephen Maturen/Getty Images) Read the Report on Alex Pretti's Killing -- and the Bizarre Q&A CBP Gave Congress First Jessica Washington It is not clear if Natanson used biometric authentication on her devices, or if the law enforcement personnel attempted to use her face or fingers to unlock her devices. Natanson and the Washington Post did not respond to multiple requests for comment. The FBI declined to comment. [GettyImages-2255708712-e1768495848482] Related FBI Raid on WaPo Reporter's Home Was Based on Sham Pretext Natanson has not been charged with a crime. Investigators searched her home in connection with alleged communication between her and government contractor Aurelio Luis Perez-Lugones, who was initially charged with unlawfully retaining national defense information. Prosecutors recently added new charges including multiple counts of transmission of defense information to an unauthorized person. Attorneys for Perez-Lugones did not comment. The warrant included a few stipulations limiting law enforcement personnel. Investigators were not authorized to ask Natanson details about what kind of biometric authentication she may have used on her devices. For instance, the warrant explicitly stated they could not ask Natanson which specific finger she uses for biometrics, if any. Although if Natanson were to voluntarily provide any such information, that would be allowed, according to the warrant. [Picture1_252394] The FBI's search and seizure warrant for Washington Post reporter Hannah Natanson details how authorities could use her fingers or face to unlock her phone. Screenshot: FBI Andrew Crocker, surveillance litigation director at the Electronic Frontier Foundation, told The Intercept that while the EFF has "seen warrants that authorize police to compel individuals to unlock their devices using biometrics in the past," the caveat mandating that the subject of the search cannot be asked for specifics about their biometric setup is likely influenced by recent case law. "Last year the D.C. Circuit held that biometric unlocking can be a form of 'testimony' that is protected by the 5th Amendment," Crocker said. This is especially the case when a person is "forced to demonstrate which finger unlocks the device." Crocker said that he "would like to see courts treat biometric locks as equivalent to password protection from a constitutional standpoint. Your constitutional right against self-incrimination should not be dependent on technical convenience or lack thereof." [Travel-to-the-US-security-tips] Related Crossing the U.S. Border? Here's How to Protect Yourself Activists and journalists have long been cautioned to disable biometrics in specific situations where they might face heightened risk of losing control of their phones, say when attending a protest or crossing a border. Martin Shelton, deputy director of digital security at Freedom of the Press Foundation, advised "journalists to disable biometrics when they expect to be in a situation where they expect a possible search." We're independent of corporate interests -- and powered by members. Join us. Become a member Join Our Newsletter Thank You For Joining! Original reporting. Fearless journalism. Delivered to you. Will you take the next step to support our independent journalism by becoming a member of The Intercept? [ ] I'm in Become a member By signing up, I agree to receive emails from The Intercept and to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use. Join Our Newsletter Original reporting. Fearless journalism. Delivered to you. I'm in Instead of using biometrics, it's safest to unlock your devices using an alphanumeric passphrase (a device protected solely by a passcode consisting of numbers is generally easier to access). There are numerous other safeguards to take if there's a possibility your home may be raided, such as turning off your phone before going to bed, which puts it into an encrypted state until the next time it's unlocked. That said, there are a few specific circumstances when biometric-based authentication methods might make sense from a privacy perspective -- such as in a public place where someone might spy on your passphrase over your shoulder. Share * Copy link * Share on Facebook * Share on Bluesky * Share on X * Share on LinkedIn * Share on WhatsApp IT'S EVEN WORSE THAN WE THOUGHT. What we're seeing right now from Donald Trump is a full-on authoritarian takeover of the U.S. government. This is not hyperbole. Court orders are being ignored. MAGA loyalists have been put in charge of the military and federal law enforcement agencies. The Department of Government Efficiency has stripped Congress of its power of the purse. News outlets that challenge Trump have been banished or put under investigation. Yet far too many are still covering Trump's assault on democracy like politics as usual, with flattering headlines describing Trump as "unconventional," "testing the boundaries," and "aggressively flexing power." The Intercept has long covered authoritarian governments, billionaire oligarchs, and backsliding democracies around the world. We understand the challenge we face in Trump and the vital importance of press freedom in defending democracy. We're independent of corporate interests. Will you help us? ( ) $15 (*) $25 ( ) $50 ( ) $100 ( ) $5 ( ) $8 (*) $10 ( ) $15 ( ) One Time (*) Monthly Donate IT'S BEEN A DEVASTATING year for journalism -- the worst in modern U.S. history. We have a president with utter contempt for truth aggressively using the government's full powers to dismantle the free press. Corporate news outlets have cowered, becoming accessories in Trump's project to create a post-truth America. Right-wing billionaires have pounced, buying up media organizations and rebuilding the information environment to their liking. In this most perilous moment for democracy, The Intercept is fighting back. But to do so effectively, we need to grow. That's where you come in. Will you help us expand our reporting capacity in time to hit the ground running in 2026? We're independent of corporate interests. Will you help us? ( ) $15 (*) $25 ( ) $50 ( ) $100 ( ) $5 ( ) $8 (*) $10 ( ) $15 ( ) One Time (*) Monthly Donate [editor-in-] I'M BEN MUESSIG, The Intercept's editor-in-chief. It's been a devastating year for journalism -- the worst in modern U.S. history. We have a president with utter contempt for truth aggressively using the government's full powers to dismantle the free press. Corporate news outlets have cowered, becoming accessories in Trump's project to create a post-truth America. Right-wing billionaires have pounced, buying up media organizations and rebuilding the information environment to their liking. In this most perilous moment for democracy, The Intercept is fighting back. But to do so effectively, we need to grow. That's where you come in. Will you help us expand our reporting capacity in time to hit the ground running in 2026? We're independent of corporate interests. Will you help us? ( ) $15 (*) $25 ( ) $50 ( ) $100 ( ) $5 ( ) $8 (*) $10 ( ) $15 ( ) One Time (*) Monthly Donate Contact the author: [TI_Avat] Nikita Mazurov Related [leaking-in-the-Trump-era] How to Leak Under the Trump Administration Attorney General William Barr listens to President Donald Trump speak with officials on September 1, 2020, at Mary D. 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