U.S. law enforcement reportedly using fingerprints of deceased victims and suspects to access iPhones
U.S. law enforcement agencies have accessed iPhones owned by deceased victims and criminal suspects through Touch ID, sources revealed to Forbes.
FBI forensic specialist Bob Moledor described an unsuccessful attempt to use the fingerprint of deceased Ohio State University attacker Abdul Razak Ali Artan to unlock his iPhone. The device had gone to sleep by the time the attempt was made, and required a password, but federal police in New York and Ohio have also used the technique, and in some cases been successful, Forbes reports.
Individual’s privacy rights end with their death, according to the report, and any information shared with a deceased individual is fair game for police. Police are also reportedly considering how to use Face ID to unlock iPhones, though it is unknown if they have attempted to do so at this time.
Other options for law enforcement to access personal devices include using the services of a data extraction company like Cellebrite, though this could take longer and cost thousands of dollars.
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