Encryption scares the police....they have become so used to snooping on us...

http://online.wsj.com/articles/new-level-of-smartphone-encryption-alarms-law-enforcement-1411420341

New encryption technology that puts some data on smartphones out of the reach of police and the courts are raising some alarms. WSJ's Danny Yadron reports on the News Hub with Sara Murray. Photo: AP.

Moves by Apple Inc. AAPL +0.10% and Google Inc. GOOGL -1.34% to put some smartphone data out of the reach of police and the courts are raising alarms inside U.S. law-enforcement agencies, current and former officials say.

Several officials in Washington said they were bracing for a confrontation with Silicon Valley on the issue, the latest fallout from the revelations by former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden about government surveillance.

Customers compare iPhones during the sales launch at an Apple store in Palo Alto, Calif., on Friday. Bloomberg

Last week, Apple announced that its new operating system for phones would prevent law enforcement from retrieving data stored on a locked phone, such as photos, videos and contacts. A day later, Google reiterated that the next version of its Android mobile-operating system this fall would make it similarly difficult for police or Google to extract such data from suspects' phones.

I read an article about this yesterday.

The authorities cannot force you to unencrypt your phone or computer (and self-incriminate) unless they have proof that you have evidence of criminal wrongdoing on it.  They cannot force you to unencrypt your devices on a "fishing expedition".

Examples of proof:  child pornography seen on the phone or computer in an unencrypted portion of the device.  That's enough justification to reason that more child pornography is on the encrypted portion. In one instance, a lady was overheard on her phone (wiretap?) telling her husband that they were safe because the evidence of illegal activity was encrypted.  That was enough proof.

If you are in the position where they have evidence that you have encrypted damning stuff, the court can put you behind bars for contempt of court if you refuse to supply the password.

Eric wrote:

I read an article about this yesterday.

The authorities cannot force you to unencrypt your phone or computer (and self-incriminate) unless they have proof that you have evidence of criminal wrongdoing on it.  They cannot force you to unencrypt your devices on a "fishing expedition".

Examples of proof:  child pornography seen on the phone or computer in an unencrypted portion of the device.  That's enough justification to reason that more child pornography is on the encrypted portion.  In one instance, a lady was overheard on her phone (wiretap?) telling her husband that they were safe because the evidence of illegal activity was encrypted.  That was enough proof.

If you are in the position where they have evidence that you have encrypted damning stuff, the court can put you behind bars for contempt of court if you refuse to supply the password.

The no expectation of privacy....especially when people provide the reasonable suspicion and/or probable cause to look elsewhere...With the advances in most departments there are specialized units that will confiscate and find what they are looking for...and the warrants aren't difficult to obtain...like the examples you've provided...

Yes and for a bonus they can put whatever criminal info they want to find on your computer. Kinda like the throw down gun or convenient baggy of marijuana that just appear magically at the scene. Land of the free home of the brave my ass....