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Michigan Police Could Search Cell Phones During Traffic Stops

Posted by timothy on from the gentlemen-do-not-read-each-other's-texts dept.

SonicSpike writes "The Michigan State Police have a high-tech mobile forensics device that can be used to extract information from cell phones belonging to motorists stopped for minor traffic violations. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Michigan last Wednesday demanded that state officials stop stonewalling freedom of information requests for information on the program. A US Department of Justice test of the CelleBrite UFED used by Michigan police found the device could grab all of the photos and videos off of an iPhone within one-and-a-half minutes. The device works with 3000 different phone models and can even defeat password protections. 'Complete extraction of existing, hidden, and deleted phone data, including call history, text messages, contacts, images, and geotags,' a CelleBrite brochure explains regarding the device's capabilities." Popular Mechanics has a short conversation with a 4th Amendment lawyer about the practice of slurping cellphone data, too, though it's unclear if the Michigan police are actually using these devices to their full potential.

5 of 525 comments (clear)

  1. it's a trap by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Funny

    I am currently rigging a phone that has an unusually high power output on the incorrect USB contacts. I will keep it in my car. Is it my fault their little toy let the smoke out?

  2. Re:Police often violate 4th amendment rights.. by superwiz · · Score: 3, Funny

    at $150k per copyright violation, i doubt you'd have to look very long to find a lawyer to sue for violating your copyrights on the videos and images on your phone.

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  3. Actully, any lawyer can sue for that by unassimilatible · · Score: 3, Funny

    42 USC 1983 authorizes suits for deprivation of civil rights. Johnnie Cochran made a fortune doing it. Of course, police have qualified immunity from suit, so you sue the city., i.e., taxpayers, for police misconduct.

    But you can't criminally prosecute police for every little misstep. Nobody would want to be a cop.

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    Slashdot "libertarians": Small government for me, big government for those I disagree with. -1, I disagree with you
  4. Oh please! by unassimilatible · · Score: 1, Funny

    Do you get imprisoned for making mistakes at work? This would be a great way to ensure you had no cops, or cops that don't do anything for fear of prison! Should the Miranda officers have gone to prison for following the law at the time, only to have new law created out of the ether?

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    Slashdot "libertarians": Small government for me, big government for those I disagree with. -1, I disagree with you
  5. Re:yes, but do they archive that data? by mcgrew · · Score: 4, Funny

    Data is sexy.

    Tasha? Is that you?

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