"There’s no clear prescription yet from the Supreme Court on whether and to what extent police can search cell phones at the time of arrest, but justices have already started debating the merits of allowing warrantless searches based on the cause of an arrest or else allowing for some aspects of a phone to be searched and not others. The decision will replace the various stances taken by individual states, with some banning such warrantless searches entirely and others allowing them for even minor traffic violations. From the extensive debates around these issues, it’s clear that police are eager to use the same technology that makes our lives easier to make their jobs easier. In the end, the limitless connection we have to our phones will make this decision from the Supreme Court—expected in June—that much more critical. As the youngest Supreme Court justice, Elena Kagan, pointed out, 'Most people now do carry their lives on cell phones.' Sure, it’s convenient to keep track of everything from the miles you run to the money you spend to the random photos you took while raging last night on your phone, but the personal nature of these activities means it’s a good idea to prevent your mobile device from triggering a police investigation the next time you get pulled over for speeding."
I write along with Eric Elder for Vice on some steps to take to keep data on your phone from incriminating you. Read the full article here.