Live data from Hacker News

Judge Grants Search Warrant Forcing Woman to Unlock iPhone with Touch ID

macrumors.com

11–20 of 215 posts

Re: Judge Grants Search Warrant Forcing Woman to Unlock iPhone with Touch ID

#11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Or just restart your iPhone.

I've heard more than one person say if you're going to have to surrender your phone, if there's even the risk of it, turn it off.

If you turn off your iPhone, you can't use it again without entering your password, and you would have to do that consciously. On the other hand, your phone could otherwise be unlocked with just your fingerprint.

Re: Judge Grants Search Warrant Forcing Woman to Unlock iPhone with Touch ID

#15

Touch ID is disabled when an iPhone initially powers on. So, if you want to prevent law enforcement compelling you to decrypt using your fingerprint , hold down the power button and then slide right to power off the phone. Now they need your password.

PIN Code is also required when you fail to authenticate with Touch ID five times. So one could use the wrong finger a few times and that would solve the problem ;).

Re: Judge Grants Search Warrant Forcing Woman to Unlock iPhone with Touch ID

#16

Touch ID is disabled when an iPhone initially powers on. So, if you want to prevent law enforcement compelling you to decrypt using your fingerprint , hold down the power button and then slide right to power off the phone. Now they need your password.

Unless you are prepared in advance, after they take your phone you likely won't have the chance to turn it off.

Re: Judge Grants Search Warrant Forcing Woman to Unlock iPhone with Touch ID

#19
post #15

Touch ID is disabled when an iPhone initially powers on. So, if you want to prevent law enforcement compelling you to decrypt using your fingerprint , hold down the power button and then slide right to power off the phone. Now they need your password.

PIN Code is also required when you fail to authenticate with Touch ID five times. So one could use the wrong finger a few times and that would solve the problem ;).

I've noticed that Touch ID is super brittle (at least on my own iPhone 5S), too. If your finger's slightly wet, that may be enough.

Indeed, trying it now, if I lick my finger and then use it to try and unlock my iPhone a few times, it disables Touch ID and requires a passcode!

Re: Judge Grants Search Warrant Forcing Woman to Unlock iPhone with Touch ID

#20
post #4

You can be compelled to provide fingerprints based on a warrant; I'm unsurprised (and not particularly bothered) that you can be compelled to use them on your own device. If you care about security, don't use a fingerprint alone; at most, only use it as a second factor for two-factor authentication. More generally, don't use anything that removes your ability to make a choice under duress, in whichever direction you…

You've described the state of the law as it is, but surely that doesn't address the issue of the law as it should be. I think that it is possible to be an intelligent but non-technical person and (EDIT: forgot the word 'not') realise that, all technical issues aside, the "something you know" and "something you have" parts of a password are on completely different legal footing; and I think that it is reasonable even…

I agree with the comments below: a fingerprint is a username, not a password. I don't have a problem with compelling the provision of identification given an appropriate warrant; I do have a problem with compelling the provision of information held only in someone's head, with or without a warrant.
Post reply on HN