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Explore how German immigration authorities have gained unprecedented powers to confiscate and retain smartphones from people required to leave the country in this conference talk from 39C3. Discover the massive implications of what appears to be a minor change to Germany's residence law, which now allows foreign offices to not only search but permanently confiscate smartphones "until departure." Learn about the fundamental rights violations this creates, as affected individuals lose control over their personal data and their primary means of communication for indefinite periods. Examine the absurd consequences of this policy and how German federal states from Bavaria to North Rhine-Westphalia have acquired their own IT forensic tools to search devices for "evidence" of origin. Understand how authorities are employing methods typically used in criminal investigations or by intelligence services to examine devices belonging to people who have committed no crimes. Analyze which federal states lead the troubling statistics and how this smartphone confiscation fits into the broader arsenal of digital and other forms of repression against refugees. Gain insights into the technical and legal aspects of how tools like Cellebrite have found their way into immigration offices and the human rights implications of these practices.
