Police can now buy tools to unlock phones and extract data from them

The US government is buying software and hardware that can unlock encrypted phones and extract data from them. This means law enforcement agencies will have more tools to access information on suspects' devices.

For years, law enforcement agencies have struggled to access data on encrypted phones, creating a 'going dark' problem. This procurement means that a specific set of tools for bypassing phone security is now available to government agencies. It shifts the balance between digital privacy and law enforcement access.