16 Jan Police Cannot Force People to Open Phones Using Biometrics, Judge Rules
California magistrate judge Kandis Westmore recently ruled that US cops cannot force mobile phone owners to open their device using their face or finger.
On a Facebook extortion case where the feds wanted to open up phones found in a raid, the judge ruled that “If a person cannot be compelled to provide a passcode because it is a testimonial communication, a person cannot be compelled to provide one’s finger, thumb, iris, face, or other biometric feature to unlock that same device.”
Westmore added that the authorities should just find other ways to obtain relevant data that do not trample on the Fifth Amendment.
Source: Forbes
