[throwaway12224]

You wouldn't wipe your phone turning it in, even a work phone?

[jes]

Their phones were to be surrendered as part of an investigation. Wiping them is destroying records.

It’s different if you’re just returning a work phone, or preparing to sell or transfer a personal phone.

When members of a group do it more or less en masse, it implies that they have something to hide.

[c0nducktr]

> Their phones were to be surrendered as part of an investigation. Wiping them is destroying records.

Yeah, isn't that very literally obstruction of justice?

[crocodiletears]

Only if they decide it is, or if a judge is willing to learn that their entire family decided to commit seppuku while they were at work.

[loonster]

As a routine practice, yes. If my phone was subpoenaed (or likely to be in the future), wiping my phone would be against the law. I would only do so if the risk was worth it.

[anamax]

You have risk.

FBI agents - not so much.