More than 2,000 law enforcement agencies have used mobile device forensic tools to extract full copies of data on people’s cell phones hundreds of thousands of times, often without warrants, according to a report from Upturn. Law enforcement has overused these tools in cases ranging from graffiti and car crashes to drug-related offenses to violent crimes. The MacArthur-supported report documents the adoption, lack of constraints, and makes policy recommendations that could restrict their use.
