The powers to use UFED [universal forensic extraction devices] on phones has been expanded for organised crime-related offences, and the examples originally given were offences relating to drugs or illicit tobacco, firebombings and public shootings. But as the organised crime offences include those organised by 2 or more people and those involving planning, these powers may end up being used in relation to protest activity.
“Under the Minns Labor government police have been given increased powers, the number of kids and young people in prison has increased at record rates, and more people are being arrested and incarcerated than ever before,” said NSW Greens MLC Sue Higginson in a media release at the time the Cellebrite UFED expansion laws were before parliament.
“If we are investing $15 million to hack more phones and give police further access to messages, images, location markers and other sensitive information, we must also increase the independent oversight to safeguard against improper use of this invasive technology,” the Greens justice spokesperson continued.
“This announcement comes amidst increasing community concern about Cellebrite, the Israeli spyware firm run by ex-IDF soldiers who provide phone-hacking technology to police.”
This software doesn’t work if your phone is off.
That isn’t to say that there won’t be a future version in a decade that can hack today’s encrypted phones.
I’m not up with tech as you know, but can’t a police officer make someone switch their phone on under threat of arrest?
I have no clue what the law is in WA, let alone NSW. I only know the tech side. This software works by essentially taking a clone of the files on your phone and then brute-forcing it offline. If your phone is off, its contents are all encrypted and can’t be accessed. At least today.
If you are the suspect of something big like murder etc, they’ll keep your phone and probably will get into it eventually (like, years from now). And they’ll persist that long. But, I doubt they’ll commit those sorts of resources for a roadside stop.
Is there any decently running democracy at this point?
Its old but every time I hear about cellebrite Im compelled to post this.
A beautiful read
i hate how unsurprised i am by this :(
I love democracy.
When will phones start be manufacturered with a small thermite charge built into the flash chip?
GrapheneOS has a duress pin that wipes the phone when you enter it, that’s conceptually similar
They arreated a guy in the US for using it.
IIRC he was released due to lack of probable cause and bogus charges. So, it did it’s job, no copy got made.
