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Michigan: Police Search Cell Phones During Traffic Stops

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posted on Apr, 20 2011 @ 04:31 AM
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Michigan: Police Search Cell Phones During Traffic Stops


ACLU seeks information on Michigan program that allows cops to download information from smart phones belonging to stopped motorists.

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.

ACLU learned that the police had acquired the cell phone scanning devices and in August 2008 filed an official request for records on the program, including logs of how the devices were used. The state police responded by saying they would provide the information only in return for a payment of $544,680. The ACLU found the charge outrageous.

"Law enforcement officers are known, on occasion, to encourage citizens to cooperate if they have nothing to hide," ACLU staff attorney Mark P. Fancher wrote. "No less should be expected of law enforcement, and the Michigan State Police should be willing to assuage concerns that these powerful extraction devices are being used illegally by honoring our requests for cooperation and disclosure."

A US Department of Justice test of the CelleBrite UFED used by Michigan police found the device could grab all of the photos and video 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. "The Physical Analyzer allows visualization of both existing and deleted locations on Google Earth. In addition, location information from GPS devices and image geotags can be mapped on Google Maps."



posted on Apr, 20 2011 @ 04:33 AM
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Heads up to those who live in Michigan.. This is about one of the MOST absurd actions I have seen a Law Enforcement Agency take. The 4th Amendment implications are very much present, and for once I hope the ACLU takes this to court and gets this abilty revoked.

As with Computers, a warrant should be required to access the information on a cell phone / PDA / similar device.

I hope the police get their butts handed to them for this one.

This is also an ongoing issue in California as well, and the same 4th amendment concerns are being raised their also.
California Cell Phone Search

Arizona V. Gant should also lend support to the police being required to get a warrant prior to searching. We can no longer search a car as an incident to arrest if the only issue is the driver has a warrant. Stopping a vehicle for a moving violation comes nowhere near the Officer being justified in asking for your cell phone.
edit on 20-4-2011 by Xcathdra because: (no reason given)



posted on Apr, 20 2011 @ 04:39 AM
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HOLY CRAP this has been going on since 2008? WOW, how could those policemen and women be SILENT about this? THIS is the crap that gives them a terrible name and the power grabs are going to come to a violent crescendo unless these officers stop this insanity.



posted on Apr, 20 2011 @ 04:41 AM
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First they go after citizens with a tank, now they are conducting illegal search and seizers? That's what happens when you vote for the same party over and over, right or left, eventually you will be dominated. You have to at least try to make each side pretend to stand for the people.



posted on Apr, 20 2011 @ 04:42 AM
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reply to post by SmokeandShadow
 


I've worked with the top of the line cellbrite machines for years and I can tell you how they work and this article is definitely over-hyping the abilities of them. They are used to transfer information from one device to the next, and the information that can be transferred (not stored) is limited to Contacts, Images, Photos, Videos and Multimedia.

If they could be used to transfer or store call history, text messages etc. It would have made my job alot easier when an unruly customer is demanding the info be transfered

edit on 20-4-2011 by hiwhatsup because: adding.


I also like how the article mentions an iPhone which has no external memory (an SD card) is the test subject. On 99% of phones all of your media is stored on an external card, which can not be accessed by any cellbrite machine on the planet.
edit on 20-4-2011 by hiwhatsup because: adding more



posted on Apr, 20 2011 @ 04:43 AM
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Originally posted by SmokeandShadow
HOLY CRAP this has been going on since 2008? WOW, how could those policemen and women be SILENT about this? THIS is the crap that gives them a terrible name and the power grabs are going to come to a violent crescendo unless these officers stop this insanity.


Sarcasm aside the reason I brought it up is the push to take the agument Federal, which did NOT occur in 2008.

Mind pointing out to me where an officer is justified to take a persons cell phone during a traffic stop? Care to explain how it does not violate the 4th amendment, in addition to Arizona V. Gant?



posted on Apr, 20 2011 @ 04:46 AM
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Originally posted by hiwhatsup
reply to post by SmokeandShadow
 


I've worked with the top of the line cellbrite machines for years and I can tell you how they work and this article is definitely over-hyping the abilities of them. They are used to transfer information from one device to the next, and the information that can be transferred (not stored) is limited to Contacts, Images, Photos, Videos and Multimedia.

If they could be used to transfer or store call history, text messages etc. It would have made my job alot easier when an unruly customer is demanding the info be transfered

edit on 20-4-2011 by hiwhatsup because: adding.


I don't think you are using the top of the line unit -

Celbrite systems


The Cellebrite UFED Physical Pro is a high-end, all-in-one solution for logical and physical extraction. The UFED Physical Pro expands your current device capabilities to extract deleted mobile device data, user passwords, file system dumps, and physical extraction from GPS devices.

With expanded coverage that now includes more than 3000 phones and a growing list of GPS devices, UFED Physical Pro provides the most complete mobile forensics solution available on the market.

Utilizing UFED's simple and field-proven user interface, a complete high-speed hex dump of the phone memory is delivered without the need of cumbersome PC drivers. Critical data such as user lock codes, and deleted information such as text messages, call history, pictures, and video are sorted and retrieved by Cellebrite's Physical Pro engine. The UFED Physical Pro also includes robust search tools for manual hex dump analysis, as well as an expert mode, which allows advanced capabilities for researchers.



UNPARALELLED ACCESS TO PHONE MEMORY

UFED Physical Pro provides access to data inaccessible by logical methods:
■ Phone user lock code
■ Deleted data including: deleted call history, text messages, images, phonebook entries and videos
■ Access to internal application data
■ Phone internal data including: IMSI history, past SIM cards used, past user lock code history



INTELLIGENT SOFTWARE FOR DEEPER INVESTIGATIONS

The memory dump from each phone is a complex data structure. But the UFED Physical Pro software tool makes navigating this data easy. Leveraging Cellebrite's comprehensive knowledge base of each phone's unique memory structure, the UFED PA application focuses the user's attention on the most critical portions of phone memory first.

Features include:
■Built-in knowledge-base of each phone's memory structure for automated retrieval of relevant data
■Hierarchical “tree” view for efficient navigation
■Advanced search capabilities both to novice and expert users
■ Customizable parsing, and search functions


Please explain why this is needed by the Police, and why its being used during traffic stops?
edit on 20-4-2011 by Xcathdra because: (no reason given)



posted on Apr, 20 2011 @ 04:52 AM
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Originally posted by SmokeandShadow
HOLY CRAP this has been going on since 2008? WOW, how could those policemen and women be SILENT about this? THIS is the crap that gives them a terrible name and the power grabs are going to come to a violent crescendo unless these officers stop this insanity.


Come now, they are only doing their jobs.

They don't set policy or make laws - they are people just like you and me.

This might seem bad now, but once cops start catching perverts and drug dealers and terrorists then you'll see that it is worth it. It is a post-9/11 world out there my friend and we all have to sacrifice some liberty for the protections of our freedoms.

But hey, if you don't like it you are free to leave. No one is stopping you. Just quit ragging on they cops when you think they are violating something you think is your rights and remember; they are only following orders so you can't even really blame them.

You say that cops are getting a bad name, well you aren't helping matters either the way you talk about them... just sayin'.



edit on 20-4-2011 by Exuberant1 because: starred and flagged.



posted on Apr, 20 2011 @ 04:58 AM
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reply to post by Xcathdra
 


A cellbrite, PC or any other device cant connect and take data from a phone if you have a simple lock on it even if its a basic flip phone with a pin or a blackberry with a password.



posted on Apr, 20 2011 @ 05:11 AM
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Originally posted by hiwhatsup
reply to post by Xcathdra
 


A cellbrite, PC or any other device cant connect and take data from a phone if you have a simple lock on it even if its a basic flip phone with a pin or a blackberry with a password.


Do any of these excuses you guys are coming up with matter? It's a total violation of our privacy rights period.



posted on Apr, 20 2011 @ 05:33 AM
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reply to post by Nutter
 


Woah there!

Are you saying that your right to privacy somehow supercedes my right to feel safe and secure?



posted on Apr, 20 2011 @ 06:57 AM
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Originally posted by Exuberant1

Originally posted by SmokeandShadow
HOLY CRAP this has been going on since 2008? WOW, how could those policemen and women be SILENT about this? THIS is the crap that gives them a terrible name and the power grabs are going to come to a violent crescendo unless these officers stop this insanity.


Come now, they are only doing their jobs.

They don't set policy or make laws - they are people just like you and me.

This might seem bad now, but once cops start catching perverts and drug dealers and terrorists then you'll see that it is worth it. It is a post-9/11 world out there my friend and we all have to sacrifice some liberty for the protections of our freedoms.

But hey, if you don't like it you are free to leave. No one is stopping you. Just quit ragging on they cops when you think they are violating something you think is your rights and remember; they are only following orders so you can't even really blame them.

You say that cops are getting a bad name, well you aren't helping matters either the way you talk about them... just sayin'.



I really hope that you are being sarcastic, if not, then I dont know whats worse, the fact that they are doing this or the fact that you bought into that BS.

edit on 20-4-2011 by TriForce because: (no reason given)

edit on 20-4-2011 by TriForce because: (no reason given)



posted on Apr, 20 2011 @ 07:01 AM
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Originally posted by Exuberant1
Are you saying that your right to privacy somehow supercedes my right to feel safe and secure?




Where does that come from? It certainly isnt natural/god-granted. Is it somewhere in the bill of rights?



posted on Apr, 20 2011 @ 07:01 AM
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reply to post by Exuberant1
 


Woah there!

Are you saying that your right to feel safe and secure somehow supercedes my right to feel scared, unsafe and unsecured?



posted on Apr, 20 2011 @ 07:31 AM
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I'd like to quote a line from the original Star Trek series. It was the episode in which the landing party was on a planet that was like earth's classic Rome period, but developed into the 20th century. One of the natives gave Captain Kirk the sage advice, "Take great care, the police are everywhere!" Sounds like good advice indeed!



posted on Apr, 20 2011 @ 07:32 AM
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reply to post by Zamini
 


Hey man, no one is stopping you from leaving this country.

If you want to live in anarchy, you are free to move to Zimbabwe (or Vermont).

I swear, the way some people talk about cops around here you'd think that they want them to do less. But those people tend to forget that it is the police that are holding the line and stopping civilization from descending into barbarity. Any step back, any laws not enforced by our police is a step towards the brutal tyranny of anarchy.

Besides who do you call when a criminal has just victimized you?

....Exactly.

Maybe you should be greatful.

Every day those people go to work they decide that the lives of others are more important than their own.

Anyhow, you are just going to have to deal with this new intrusion and accept the fact that it is done for your own good. Or make a paper sign and walk around with it somewhere shouting slogans (but you already know that doesn't work, so suck it up).




edit on 20-4-2011 by Exuberant1 because: (no reason given)



posted on Apr, 20 2011 @ 07:35 AM
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Oh heck no. I would drop my phone in a bucket of water before I let them do this.

I have nothing to hide but it is none of their damn business what I have on my phone when I am being pulled over for something completely unrelated.



posted on Apr, 20 2011 @ 07:42 AM
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reply to post by mblahnikluver
 


If you are so worried about having the police see what's on your phone (lord only knows what given your reluctance to cooperate) then you are free to walk or take the bus.

Maybe when someone you love is victimized by a cell phone user, you will understand.



posted on Apr, 20 2011 @ 07:42 AM
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reply to post by Exuberant1
 


It doesnt sound like you really grasp the scope of what cops do.

And this:


Originally posted by Exuberant1
Anyhow, you are just going to have to deal with this new intrusion and accept the fact that it is done for your own good. Or make a paper sign and walk around with it somewhere shouting slogans (but you already know that doesn't work, so suck it up).

edit on 20-4-2011 by Exuberant1 because: (no reason given)


Man. I forget people like you are around sometimes.



posted on Apr, 20 2011 @ 07:43 AM
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reply to post by Exuberant1
 


You get a 0/10 on the troll scale.

Way too obvious.




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