By Steve Neavling
ticklethewire.com
A defiant Google earlier this year refused to unlock a suspected pimp’s cellphone, prompting a potential legal battle with the FBI that could have sweeping ramifications, the Wall Street Journal reports.
When the FBI can’t unlock cell phone information, such as texts, phone numbers and emails, it appears the agency is asking smartphone software makers for passwords, according to the Wall Street Journal.
Asking for passwords “is awfully new and aggressive,” said Paul Ohm, associate professor at the University of Colorado Law School and former federal prosecutor.
To date, there are no legal standards about obtaining passwords from phone makers, according to the Wall Street Journal.
