Security Recommendation for Developers

[JimOjeda]

I currently have a Samsung Galaxy S24 and I love it.  But after reading that the police or law enforcement can force your thumb on your phone to search it and find something to charge you with, it became obvious that there needs to be some kind of security feature to protect my private info.

I'd like for some way to alert my phone that I'm being forced to unlock it and then have it immediately delete my biometrics and lock the screen.

Like if I use my right thumb, it unlocks normally, but if I use my left thumb, then it immediately deletes my biometrics, you know, deletes my thumb prints and face recognition. Make sense?

And maybe if someone is trying to force my face so that in unlocks with my face, if I close my left eye, then the phone immediately deletes biometrics and locks the screen.

Or maybe even say, "Hey Google, lock my phone!" and it immediately locks it and deletes the biometrics.

Would it be possible to do something like that?

I would love this kind of security feature and I suspect so would everyone else.

[johnz237]

Hi! Welcome to the Samsung Members community!

Tricky one—I get the idea of the feature in general, but when it involves the law... I'm 99% sure they can bypass this regardless of whether you can unlock it yourself. Its quicker for them to "force you" to unlock it- but even if you refuse- they'll try get you to use your pin/ if they have the warrent use tools to unlock it anyways and bypass security

[Obsydian]

Hi and welcome you can submit ideas through the Members App.

Note Samsung used to have a lock down mode, but that was on demand and would turn off all bio and comms.

An easier option is store anything personal not criminal under secure folder which now allows you to use a different finger print.

[Tourbillon De La Vie]

Enable auto factory reset. After 20 incorrect attempts phone reset itself. Only use/enable alphanumeric pin

[Piper123]

Or maybe don't break the law and therefore have nothing to hide?

[MNas04]

It seems suspicious to me. Don't do anything that can get you into trouble. They do have ways on bypassing the security on your phone. So yh dont break the law and you'll be fine!!

[JimOjeda]

Well, obviously, but it was just an example to illustrate the issue.  I've known of kidnappers who used their victim's thumb print to enter their phone so they could scam unsuspecting family. I've also known of law enforcement entering a suspect's phone to delete video evidence that implicated wrongdoing on the part of the police. The suspect did nothing wrong, but the officer's actions were illegal.

So yeah, that's my concern, that innocent people get victimized constantly, which could happen to you or I as well. I don't break the law and have nothing to hide. But if I find myself in a position some day where I'm recording the police abusing of a citizen's rights and they demand my phone, I have a right to refuse it since it's an unconsititutional search and siesure. Without a warrant, police can't search any personal property of yours, but they can force your thumb on your phone and search it as well as delete stuff from it if you have it set to unlock with  thumb print or with your face. Do you understand what I mean?

[JimOjeda]

I would never and that's always good advice. But people have fallen victims to either law enforcement or to criminals and have been forced to unlock their phones so that the perpetrators could use the contacts to scam family members. So some kind of security like this would have come in handy. Know what I mean?

[MNas04]

I know what you mean. But in reality they cannot force criminals to unlock their phones or ask for the pin if their in police custody or interview. If the criminal refuses. Then the police can get a warrant from the courts to use specialist software to bypass the phone security. I dont see why your worrying about this. If your a criminal and known to the police as a example. Then you should be worried. If your a ordinary person that gets on with life and doesn't break the law. Then there's no need to be worried..

[Reylob]

As suggested, you could send some feedback using the Members app. However, the closest right now it is @Tourbillon De La Vie's advise. Enable auto factory reset.

Settings -> Lock screen and AOD -> Secure lock settings -> Auto factory reset (Toggle on)