iPhone-unlocking technology is giving law enforcement access to encrypted data

An iPhone.
(Image credit: Getty Images)

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.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

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.

Sign up
To continue reading this article...
Continue reading this article and get limited website access each month.
Get unlimited website access, exclusive newsletters plus much more.
Cancel or pause at any time.
Already a subscriber to The Week?
Not sure which email you used for your subscription? Contact us
Summer Meza, The Week US

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.