US Court Rules Cops Can Force Suspect to Unlock Phone

Court Rules on Fifth Amendment Protection and Phone Unlocking

In a landmark decision, a federal appeals court has ruled that the US Constitution's Fifth Amendment protection against self-incrimination does not prevent law enforcement from requiring a suspect to unlock their phone using a biometric method, such as a thumbprint scan. This significant ruling, emerging from the US Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit, addresses a previously uncertain area of law concerning biometric security measures.