# Cops in this country think everyone using a Google Pixel must be a drug dealer **URL:** https://discuss.privacyguides.net/t/cops-in-this-country-think-everyone-using-a-google-pixel-must-be-a-drug-dealer/28850 **Category:** News **Tags:** article **Created:** 2025-07-03T14:02:16Z **Posts:** 11 ## Post 1 by @KevPham — 2025-07-03T14:02:16Z > **[Cops in this country think everyone using a Google Pixel must be a drug...](https://www.androidauthority.com/google-pixel-organized-crime-preferred-phone-3573578/)** > > Pixel phones are criminals' top pick in Spain's Catalonia for their strong security and mod-friendly design. Spoiler alert: It’s Spain. Specifically, the region of Catalonia. Apparently, Catalan drug dealers have been adopting Graphene OS to the point where police are assuming that every Pixel user is a suspected drug dealer. The problem has gotten so bad, the police are resorting to malware and social engineering to seize evidence. [Per a Machine-translated excerpt from the original Spanish article by Xataka Android:](https://www.xatakandroid.com/sociedad/cada-vez-que-vemos-google-pixel-pensamos-que-puede-ser-narcotraficante-movil-perfecto-para-crimen-sencilla-razon) > **The police solution**. That is none other than a Trojan. Given the impossibility of breaking the encryption, they infect traffickers’ phones with malicious software, with prior judicial authorization. In this way, they gain full access to the device: apps, images, documents and conversations. Obviously, GrapheneOS is not capable of protecting itself (like any Android) from this malware. > > **“To pursue organized crime, if you don’t bring in Trojans, you’re dead”**. It is certainly a controversial but endorsed method. The tactic, [questioned by some lawyers](https://legalconsultors.es/troyanos-registro-remoto-por-la-policia-es-viable/) due to a possible lack of limits on intrusion into privacy, it has a large-scale precedent in Europe. [The “Encrochat case” of 2020](https://www.xataka.com/seguridad/encrochat-policia-europea-logra-descifrar-red-mensajeria-encriptada-utilizada-narcotraficantes-detiene-a-800-criminales), in which the French police used a Trojan to carry out more than 6,500 arrests and seize tons of drugs across the old continent. I’m curious whether their usage of the word “Trojan” refers to a zero-click attack from the likes of Pegasus and other targeted malware? Regardless, Pixel users should not be profiled just from their supposed usage of Graphene OS. It should not be a crime to protect one’s privacy. --- ## Post 2 by @sha123 — 2025-07-03T14:10:55Z See > **[GrapheneOS (@GrapheneOS@grapheneos.social)](https://grapheneos.social/@GrapheneOS/114784469162979608)** > > European authoritarians and their enablers in the media are misrepresenting GrapheneOS and even Pixel phones as if they're something for criminals. GrapheneOS is opposed to the mass surveillance police state these people want to impose on... and following. > A consistent pattern are completely unsubstantiated claims about exploits with no evidence. --- ## Post 3 by @Regime6045 — 2025-07-03T15:06:46Z > [@KevPham](#): > > Apparently, Catalan drug dealers have been adopting Graphene OS to the point where police are assuming that every Pixel user is a suspected drug dealer. I would really like to know how many of the Pixel users they find are using GrapheneOS. --- ## Post 4 by @jerm — 2025-07-03T15:39:36Z > **[Android Authority GrapheneOS Slander - GrapheneOS Discussion Forum](https://discuss.grapheneos.org/d/23655-android-authority-grapheneos-slander/4)** > > GrapheneOS discussion forum correcting some misinfo by one of their devs --- ## Post 5 by @KevPham — 2025-07-03T16:16:51Z Possibly highly exaggerated. I’m sure at least a few did have it installed? But I don’t think the average drug dealer would bother installing it. Looks like EU fearmongering to me. > [@jerm](#): > > correcting some misinfo by one of their devs Makes sense. No idea why Android Authority blatantly copied and pasted an existing article (much less and older one) and provided even worst contextualization for their users. --- ## Post 6 by @arise1984 — 2025-07-03T23:29:25Z Maybe graphene guys could --- ## Post 7 by @M1chiel — 2025-07-04T20:18:15Z The original article on Android Authority has been corrected and updated based on feesback from the GrapheneOS team. --- ## Post 8 by @lemon-swan — 2025-07-05T09:56:59Z Android Authoritarian? --- ## Post 9 by @jhk — 2025-07-05T19:52:59Z > [@KevPham](#): > > I’m sure at least a few did have it installed? But I don’t think the average drug dealer would bother installing it. a friend of mine used to work in a digital forensics unit in Spain, not the Catalan police though, and he said that most of the phones they received from high profile drug trafficking arrests where Pixel phones with GrapheneOS. He said they couldn’t extract anything from those without the PIN code. --- ## Post 10 by @KevPham — 2025-07-07T15:01:53Z > [@jhk](#): > > high profile drug trafficking arrests Makes sense as a form of survivalship bias. High profile individuals usually implies higher resources, meaning that they can afford to purchase dedicated devices and take the time to install GOS, which also leads increased scrutiny from the police. I can see why more GOS phones are being sent up for forensic analysis just for this reason. I don’t think it’s fair to attribute that label to randos on the street though. Maybe they’re Android enthusiasts who got convinced by Android Authority’s annual award for best phone of 202x :laughing: --- ## Post 11 by @anon39816623 — 2025-07-07T17:47:19Z I really hope that Google eventually don’t lock Pixel devices to prevent GrapheneOS installation if pressured by governments or law enforcement.