iPhone-unlocking technology is giving law enforcement access to encrypted data
Law enforcement agencies across the country are scrambling to get their hands on technology that can "break into iPhones," Motherboard reports.
An investigation by Motherboard published Thursday found that police forces and federal agencies have purchased a tool called GrayKey, which can bypass encryption on even the most up-to-date iPhones so that officials can see contacts, messages, photos, and more. Each GrayKey unit is a small box outfitted with cables to connect iPhones, and there are two versions: One costs $15,000 and can unlock 300 phones, while the other runs $30,000 and can unlock an unlimited number of devices.
Internal documents showed that state police in Maryland and Indiana, as well as local police in Miami, have plans to buy GrayKeys. The Secret Service is reportedly planning to buy at least six GrayKey boxes, and the State Department has apparently already purchased the tool.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
The FBI also already uses this technology, Motherboard reports, and said in 2016 that it can unlock just about any phone. But FBI Director Christopher Wray said in January that it is becoming more difficult bypass encryption — an argument frequently made in the push for devices that have a "back door" in their operating systems to allow law enforcement to access data when needed. GrayKey boxes make "back doors" less necessary, experts told Motherboard, but the increasing presence of such technology in law enforcement agencies means investigators can get any data they want, encrypted or not.
Read more at Motherboard.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Summer Meza has worked at The Week since 2018, serving as a staff writer, a news writer and currently the deputy editor. As a proud news generalist, she edits everything from political punditry and science news to personal finance advice and film reviews. Summer has previously written for Newsweek and the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, covering national politics, transportation and the cannabis industry.
-
Today's political cartoons - November 23, 2024
Cartoons Saturday's cartoons - qualifications, tax cuts, and more
By The Week US Published
-
Long summer days in Iceland's highlands
The Week Recommends While many parts of this volcanic island are barren, there is a 'desolate beauty' to be found in every corner
By The Week UK Published
-
The Democrats: time for wholesale reform?
Talking Point In the 'wreckage' of the election, the party must decide how to rebuild
By The Week UK Published
-
Judge blocks Louisiana 10 Commandments law
Speed Read U.S. District Judge John deGravelles ruled that a law ordering schools to display the Ten Commandments in classrooms was unconstitutional
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
ATF finalizes rule to close 'gun show loophole'
Speed Read Biden moves to expand background checks for gun buyers
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Hong Kong passes tough new security law
Speed Read It will allow the government to further suppress all forms of dissent
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
France enshrines abortion rights in constitution
speed read It became the first country to make abortion a constitutional right
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Texas executes man despite contested evidence
Speed Read Texas rejected calls for a rehearing of Ivan Cantu's case amid recanted testimony and allegations of suppressed exculpatory evidence
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Supreme Court wary of state social media regulations
Speed Read A majority of justices appeared skeptical that Texas and Florida were lawfully protecting the free speech rights of users
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Greece legalizes same-sex marriage
Speed Read Greece becomes the first Orthodox Christian country to enshrine marriage equality in law
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Trump and his lawyer Alina Habba have a rough day in defamation court
Speed Read Trump's audible grousing as E. Jean Carroll testified earned him a warning he could be thrown out of court, and Habba showed she 'doesn't know what the hell she's doing'
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published