The Fredericton Police Force is buying a tool that would allow officers to get around cellphone passwords to access the data contained in them. Councillors voted Monday to let the force spend $31,000 on Graykey, but before officers can use the technology to gain access to a locked phone, they'd first need to obtain a warrant from a judge, said Coun. Steve Hicks, chair of the city's public safety committee.
"They [would] just not randomly go up to anyone and take their cellphone," Hicks said in an interview after the meeting. "It would it would be through an investigation and they'd have to have probable cause to get that cellphone and be able to go through the information." Fredericton Coun.
Steven Hicks, chair of the public safety committee, says he has no privacy concerns with the use of the technology by police. (Aidan Cox/CBC) Magnetic Forensics, the company that makes Graykey, describes itself on its website as "a global leader in digital investigations," with offices in Waterloo, Ont., Ottawa, the United States and Singapore.
The company claims "Graykey unlocks actionable intelligence so you can solve cases faster, reduce crime within your community, and maximize your mobile forensics investment. "Access is the cornerstone of digital forensics. Use Graykey to consistently unlock leading iOS and Android devices to help you get the evidence you need.
" Little information presented publicly Council voted on request to purchase the tool after a closed-door council-in-committ.