A device which can recover hidden and deleted data from more than 3,000 mobile phones and GPS devices is drawing fire from the American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan.

The UFED Physical Pro extraction device, sold by Cellebrite, has been used by the Michigan State Police (MSP) for several years as a “mobile forensics solution” capable of retrieving phone book details, text messages, call history, deleted text messages, audio recordings, and video pictures and images, according to the manufacturer.

On April 13, 2011, the ACLU sent a letter to the MSP requesting information on how the devices are being used and whether or not they violate the Fourth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution which protects citizens from unreasonable searches.

“A device that allows immediate, surreptitious intrusion into private data creates enormous risks that troopers will ignore these requirements to the detriment of the constitutional rights of persons whose cell phones are searched,” Mark P. Fancher, an attorney for the ACLU, wrote to the MSP.

The UFED device supports all major mobile operating systems, including Windows Mobile, Symbian, iPhone, Brew, Android, and BlackBerry, regardless of network carrier or device technology.

The device also includes an intelligent software tool that can quickly navigate and analyze extracted data from deep within the mobile device’s memory structure.

The ACLU has filed more than 70 Freedom of Information Act requests in a more than two year period to compel MSP to provide information about two of the devices in use.

“Specifically, we have asked for records, reports and logs of actual use,” Fancher said in the letter on behalf of the ACLU. “The MSP’s estimated cost of $544,680 for retrieval and assembly of these documents for the entire period that five of these devices have been in the MSP’s possession is, in our view, extraordinarily high.”

The ACLU wants the law enforcement agency to provide such details as when and how many of the devices were purchased, cost to purchase and maintain the units, how and when the devices are used, and whether or not the devices are used without search warrants or the consent of the phone’s users.

“Given its role as a government watchdog, the ACLU should not have to go on expensive fishing expeditions in order to discover whether the police are violating the privacy of individuals through the use of new, sophisticated technology,” Fancher said.

The MSP has not publicly commented on the policies governing the use of such devices, or privacy concerns that may arise from their use in the field.

Founded in 1999, Cellebrite is a global company known for its technological breakthroughs in the cellular industry.

“In use by military, law enforcement, governments and intelligence agencies across the world, Cellebrite’s UFED is the tool of choice for thousands of forensic specialists in police, special forces, tax fraud, customs, border control and anti-terror investigations in more than 60 countries,” according to a company product brochure.

WATCH A DEMONSTRATION OF THE DEVICE FROM CELLEBRITE:

Did you find this content interesting? If so, please consider a small PayPal donation.