Don't get stopped by the Cops in Michigan, California or Wisconsin...

[Evildead666]

http://www.dailytech.com/article.aspx?newsid=21443

Basically, if they stop you for anything at all, they can slurp up all of whats on your phone.

I had read this somewhere else as well, but can't find it.

ACLU should have some stuff about it since they seem to have gotten involved.

edit : It seems they have to arrest you or at least charge you with something first, sorry. Its not like they can just do this when they breathalize for drunk drivers (I hope).

[Brian Ellis]

That's a real shocker, reminiscent of Hitler's regime in the 1930s or the KGB's powers. It is only one step away from warrantless secret detention, like the police sometimes did in the Canton of Vaud in the 1970s, until the Tribunal Fédéral forced it to be stopped.

[Dr Mordrid]

I have relatives who are State Police officers & asked about this. It's not a routine practice here (Mich).

First of all, the number of State Police officers is rather low - the post that patrols Wayne County, pop. >3.5 million, outside of Detroit only has ~10 cars out on a day shift, and most of those patrol the major roads in & out of Ohio and Canada and the airports (2).

While they can enforce traffic laws they'd rather not - they tend to concentrate on bigger fish & coordinating local police in county/state wide activities like the Organized Crime and other Task Forces.

Second, it's most likely to be done when you're arrested for major crimes to see possible contacts with others in a criminal conspiracy.

The Michigan State Police issued this -

Recent news coverage prompted by a press release issued by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) has brought speculation and caused inaccurate information to be reported about data extraction devices (DEDs) owned by the Michigan State Police (MSP).

To be clear, there have not been any allegations of wrongdoing by the MSP in the use of DEDs.

The MSP only uses the DEDs if a search warrant is obtained or if the person possessing the mobile device gives consent. The department*s internal directive is that the DEDs only be used by MSP specialty teams on criminal cases, such as crimes against children.

The DEDs are not being used to extract citizens' personal information during routine traffic stops.

The MSP does not possess DEDs that can extract data without the officer actually possessing the owner's mobile device. The DEDs utilized by the MSP cannot obtain information from mobile devices without the mobile device owner knowing.

Data extraction devices are commercially available and are routinely utilized by mobile communication device vendors nationwide to transmit data from one device to another when customers upgrade their mobile devices.

These DEDs have been adapted for law enforcement use due to the ever-increasing use of mobile communication devices by criminals to further their criminal activity and have become a powerful investigative tool used to obtain critical information from criminals.

Since 2008, the MSP has worked with the ACLU to narrow the focus, and thus reducing the cost, of its initial Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request. To date, the MSP has fulfilled at least one ACLU FOIA request on this issue and has several far-lower cost requests awaiting payment to begin processing. The MSP provides information in accordance with the Freedom of Information Act. As with any request, there may be a processing fee to search for, retrieve, review, examine, and separate exempt material, if any.

The implication by the ACLU that the MSP uses these devices "quietly to bypass Fourth Amendment protections against unreasonable searches" is untrue, and this divisive tactic unjustly harms police and community relations.

[Brian Ellis]

OK that DEDs be used only correctly but how about a hypothetical situation that a traffic cop stops you for a violation and seizes your phone. If it's on and active, there is nothing to stop him finding your downloaded "How to make a nuclear bomb" or, worse, dirty pics of kids... Even though you may have committed an illegal act, his finding it is also illegal.

[cjolley]

The MSP only uses the DEDs if ... or if the person possessing the mobile device gives consent.
...
The DEDs utilized by the MSP cannot obtain information from mobile devices without the mobile device owner knowing.

"Consent" can have a slippery definition.
I wonder how often the request is put:
"Sir (or Mam), may I see your phone please."
This would provide totally uninformed consent to a data dump of the phone.
Most cell phone owners would have no idea that their personal data was being scraped.

I'll bet the request for a warrantless search of a phone is never worded:
"Sir (or Mam), may I extract all of the personal information from your phone so we can review it and store it permanently in our database?"

[Brian Ellis]

In addition, if you have an Apple i-phone, it has secretly recorded all the cells you have been through. The fuzz would be able to trace all your movements to within a 100 m or so.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-13145562

[Evildead666]

And Android phones apparently.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/atlantic/20110422/tc_atlantic/iphonelocationtrackinggetsworseapplesavesdata36943

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703983704576277101723453610.html

[Dr Mordrid]

That data recording is necessary for a lot of apps that use Location Services. If you don't want it then go into Settings and turn Location Services off, or do it stateigically as needed.

Want the phone protected? Don't give the officer the phone or its password. No password? Your bad move. You can also delete its contents in a few seconds (Settings/General/Reset) and restore it later from iTunes.

As far as the data stored in synched backups on a laptop or desktop goes; in iTunes you have the option of encrypting the backups with as strong a password as you want plus you can encrypt your whole drive if you want.

The question then becomes: what are you doing that makes you paranoid about it?

[Evildead666]

I have a Samsung Solid B2700, with an 8Gb Micro-SD. Have no idea how to encrypt, probably not possible.
It Phones OK , that's what its for. (Quad band)

At least its not keeping any data stored. Very bright LED torch though.
I put a small crack in the screen accidentally hitting it with a torque wrench whilst changing the rear shocks on my passat II (It was in a knee height pocket on my trousers.). Its like a small impact on a windscreen, but on an inner layer. I was a bit pissed since its supposed to be 'solid' IP-57 certification. Not the screen obviously.

edit : Wrong phone model.

[Evildead666]

The question then becomes: what are you doing that makes you paranoid about it?

How many phones these days seem to have pics of their owners either in compromising positions, naked, or exposing themselves ?
Want that to find its way onto the web ?

I'm not saying i've done any of that, but many others seem to have, celebrities being the most talked about.

[Dr Mordrid]

Dn't want compromizing pics on the web? Delete them after sending them or synching. Or, just don't do stupid s*** like that

[Brian Ellis]

No worries here. My Nokia mobile is 12 years old and is ideal for phoning and SMSing. B/W screen the size of a postage stamp. No pics. 32 kB memory. Robust as hell. What more do I need?

[Evildead666]

Radiation protection for your brain ? lol

http://www.sarshield.com/english/radiationchart.htm

edit : Shouldn't have done that, my B2700 is one of, if not the worst, samsung phone for radiation. At least i barely ever use it.

[VJ]

Dn't want compromizing pics on the web? Delete them after sending them or synching. Or, just don't do stupid s*** like that

Browser cache taken out of context could give a wrong impression. During an investigation into a bishop, his computer was seized. Shortly after that came the rumour that a photo of a young naked girl was found on it (despite the secrecy of the investigation). The investigating body - in an unprecedented move - issued a statement that a photo was found, but that it was in the browser cache and was part of an art photo collection that was presented on the national TV and thus on their website. So the bishop got the photo just from going to the national TV website.
Many data taken out of context may make all of us look suspicious at one point. Combine this with over-eager law enforcement and things like the patriot act, and I feel there is a cause for paranoia.

I personally would have no problem providing my data when asked, but I would rather not have to deal with over-active investigators that pull things out of context.

[Brian Ellis]

Yep! Just referring to the US Twinks chocolate bar can get us Europeans into trouble (the word can apparently be used for gay adolescent boys here).

Forgot to mention that I think the bar has now disappeared from the market - for obvious reasons!