Mich. Cops Can Now Steal Your Cell Phone Data — ‘Without the Owner Knowing’

Posted on April 20, 2011 at 9:28am by Jonathon M. Seidl

It’s a scary scenario. You’re driving down the road and get pulled over by a state patrolman. After checking your license and registration, the officer asks for your cell phone, and then uses a futuristic machine to download all your data. In Michigan, it’s happening.

CNet.com reports the Michigan State Police (MSP) are using “extraction devices” to download personal information from motorists’ cell phones, including contacts, videos, GPS data, and pictures, “even if they’re not suspected of any crime.”

“The handheld machines have various interfaces to work with different models and can even bypass security passwords and access some information,” CNet says. The MSP have admitted to owning five of the devices.


full story: http://www.theblaze.com/stories/mich-cops-can-now-steal-your-cell-phone-data-without-the-owner-knowing/