GrapheneOS labeled 'criminal’s choice' in France after police fail to crack Google Pixel phone

It has been a turbulent few months for GrapheneOS. Between publicly sparring with Google over security patch delays and outlining ambitious plans to break Pixel exclusivity, the privacy-focused development team hasn’t been shy about making headlines.

Now, the project is facing a different kind of heat. A new report from France suggests that law enforcement agencies are increasingly frustrated by GrapheneOS, going so far as to label the software a “secret weapon” for drug traffickers after investigators were reportedly unable to extract data from a suspect’s Google Pixel. These are the same accusations the team faced in Spain earlier this year.

The “Omar” incident

According to a report by Le Parisien published on November 19, French judicial police (OFAC) have raised alarms regarding the use of GrapheneOS by organized crime networks.

The controversy centers on a specific case involving a 27-year-old alleged drug trafficker identified as “Bilel,” suspected of running a network under the alias “Omar.” During a raid, investigators seized a Google Pixel running GrapheneOS. However, when police IT specialists attempted to access the device’s contents, the phone reportedly “mysteriously reset,” wiping potential evidence.

A police analyst quoted in the report described GrapheneOS as a tool “to exchange money away from justice,” claiming it destroys data in the event of an intrusion. The report further alleges that while the OS is presented as a tool for journalists and activists, it has “gradually spread to users who wish above all to escape any form of collection or analysis of data.”

Privacy feature or “fake Snapchat”?

The friction here stems from the very features that make GrapheneOS popular among privacy enthusiasts. The “mysterious reset” described by French police is likely a function of the OS’s Auto-Reboot feature, which puts the phone back “at rest” (encrypting keys) after a set period of inactivity, or its duress PIN/Password feature, which can instantly wipe the device if a specific code is entered.

However, the Le Parisien report also contained some bizarre claims, including an allegation that GrapheneOS features a “fake Snapchat” page used to deceive investigators.

GrapheneOS responds: “Bandits also use knives.”

The GrapheneOS team took to X (formerly Twitter) to vehemently deny the characterization of their project as a tool designed for criminals. They clarified that the “fake Snapchat” feature does not exist in legitimate GrapheneOS builds, suggesting the police may have encountered a modified, illicit fork of the OS similar to the infamous “Anom” sting operation devices.

“We have no clients or customers,” the team stated, correcting the French publication’s claim. “GrapheneOS is a freely available open source privacy project… obtained from our website, not shady dealers in dark alleys.”

Addressing the criminal usage accusations, the team used a sharp analogy:

“Bandits and traffickers also use knives, fast cars, and cash—things that are also widely used by honest citizens.”

The team argues that while a “tiny proportion” (estimated at less than 1%) of their user base may be criminals, the vast majority are regular citizens, journalists, and activists protecting themselves from data harvesting and surveillance. They further criticized the French government’s stance, calling it “authoritarian” and accusing local agencies of smearing a legitimate open-source project because they cannot easily exploit it.

Is GrapheneOS a growing thorn in the side of surveillance?

This controversy highlights the growing pains GrapheneOS faces as it transitions from a niche hobbyist ROM to a more mainstream privacy solution. The project is currently in a significant growth phase. Just this week, the team confirmed the timeline for Pixel 10 support, reassuring users of Google’s latest flagship that they will eventually have access to the OS.

Furthermore, they are actively working to move beyond the Google ecosystem entirely. After a public spat with a potential partner, GrapheneOS later confirmed that the non-Pixel flagship device they are developing with an unnamed major OEM is slated for release in late 2026 or 2027.

The situation in France is a classic example of the privacy paradox: the same tools that protect a journalist’s sources or a domestic abuse survivor’s location can also be used by bad actors to hide illegal activity.

However, labeling an open-source project like GrapheneOS as a “criminal tool” is a slippery slope. Unlike EncroChat or SkyECC, which were dedicated criminal networks sold on the black market with stripped-down hardware, GrapheneOS is free, public software focused on hardening Android against all vulnerabilities, including those exploited by commercial spyware vendors and data brokers.

As GrapheneOS moves toward launching a new smartphone partner and expanding its user base, clashes with law enforcement agencies, who are used to having easy access to digital evidence, are likely to become more frequent.