The Face ID ruling is a big win for digital rights. Here's what needs to happen next.
Now, if the cops try to force you to unlock your iPhone with your face, the law might actually be on your side.
Previously, other courts have ruled that the police could make suspects unlock their phones with Touch ID, even though legally they couldn’t force that same suspect to give up their passcode. Digital rights experts hope that a ruling in California, however, is a step toward changing that precedent.
Recently, California magistrate Judge Kanis Westmore denied a request for a warrant to compel suspects to unlock their phones using Face ID and Touch ID. In a written opinion (via Apple Insider) from Jan. 10, she said she made her decision in part because forcing someone to give up a passcode — whether alphanumeric or biometric — would violate their Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination. Read more...
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