Police using new tech to hack phones
Device downloads files in secret
POLICE in Scotland have been secretly hacking phones and harvesting data from members of the public, it has been claimed.
A Scottish Sunday newspaper reported that new technology had been used to override security systems and download all information held on a mobile phone – without the owner’s knowledge.
A secretive pilot project is said to have seen 18 officers trained to use a device known as a “kiosk”.
The pilots, in Edinburgh and Stirling, saw 375 phones and 262 SIM cards accessed.
The report described the technology as similar in size to an iPad. It can access text messages, photos, geolocations, encrypted conversations on apps, passwords, contacts, web browsing history and call records.
Police Scotland said: “We have previously trialled the use of kiosks in the east of Scotland for low-level crime.”
Detective Chief Inspector Brian Stuart added: “Given the explosion of mobile devices in recent years, law enforcement has to be innovative with technology and keep ahead of the curve to ensure the safety of its citizens.”
Solicitor Millie Wood, of campaign group Privacy International, said police should be compelled to obtain a warrant before using kiosks in Scotland.
She added: “It’s probable that there are a lot of people who were part of a trial they didn’t know about.
“We don’t know how many people and we don’t know how much data was extracted.
“Policing is by consent, which means there must be transparency and integrity.”
A police spokesman said: “All phones had to be lawfully seized for a policing purpose.”