Legal Status of Mobile Devices

Police Given Direct Line To Cell Phone Searches (CBS Dallas - Ft. Worth)

...[T]he U.S. Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit ruled it is now legal for police to search cell phones without a warrant.
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However, Coggins wonders if it opens the door to more extensive searches down the road. “Does that mean officers now have the right to search through your phone, search through your search history, your photographs, your e-mails and the rest, because it could all be wiped clean,” Coggins asked.

Many critics are asking the same question. They call the ruling an invasion of privacy that far outweighs the needs of law enforcement.

Both Defenbaugh and Coggins agree that the case is likely to go to the U.S. Supreme court.

Securing mobile devices and the information they both hold and create is perhaps the greatest privacy issue of our time. Biometric applications have a role to play in protecting privacy.