The device to the left is a Cellebrite cell phone extraction device (UFED). It allows someone to access all the information from any cell phone in just minutes. Emails, text messages, phone logs, photos, etc. are all fair game for this machine.
State Police in Michigan having been using it to access cell phones during traffic stops, and it wouldn’t surprise me if police in other states were also using similar devices.
So what can you do? During a traffic stop, officers generally need a warrant to search your cell phone. However, some cops will simply ask to see it. If you give it to them, it is considered a voluntary (and legal) search … even if they use a UFED. If you are ever asked to hand over your cell phone and do not want to share your data, demand to see a search warrant. Usually, this will be enough to get him or her to back off on the request.
