The everyday threats the journalists encounter are thus rudimentary, often revolving
around analogue methods like the manual checking of phones and the use of a list of
individuals marked for detention. As Journalist #2 says:
No one is using advanced devices like Cellebrite or software
to inspect everyone's phones and devices at the airport.
However, they do maintain a list of individuals they intend to
apprehend at airport immigration. If they identify such a
person, they would detain them and escort them to a room
for interrogation and device inspection. The list of types of
people that can be detained at the airport includes CDMers
(Civil Disobedience Movement), medical staff [like] doctors
[and] nurses, and teachers.
Similarly, #6 said:
They do have the technology, they probably bought it from
Israel or Iran. [...] I think they probably have the technology,
but they can only station it at certain important locations. I
don't think they have many technicians who can use those
complex technologies. I also think they target
revolutionaries instead of journalists, but journalists will
also get caught.
The use of digitally secure apps, a common practice recommended in digital security
training, ironically poses a significant risk during travel. Journalists (#1, #6, and #8)
report that measures like installing Signal, VPN, or using password protection and
encryption are prone to be easily spotted by military personnel and may invite
unwanted scrutiny. When phones are checked, the presence of protection often leads
7
to more probing questions. Journalist #8, who was once stopped on their way to the
Thai border, observes:
7. Although some digital security protocols suggest using two separate phones to aid in blending in, our informants
often find it impractical to leave their primary phone behind, and not all have the means to afford a secondary
device.
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