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Comment by tbrownaw | Hacker News Reader

Yes. They'd probably have kept the device for a while, but he wouldn't be in legal trouble.

Not to sound like a contrarian, but no. They would have thrown it in a faraday bag, cloned the device, and then would use one of the many existing forensic tools available to crack the pin.

https://cellebrite.com/en/blog/the-access-gap-is-closed-what...

https://www.magnetforensics.com/graykey-for-android-devices/

That's crazy. Here in the UK border police can question you for any reason (no need for suspicion) and if you refuse to answer questions or give them access to your devices you'll be charged under terror legalisation.

Even if you are a citizen of the UK?

You’ll be charged, but will they be able to get a conviction?

The charges are the punishment. You are imprisoned, risk losing your career, risk losing reputation, and still have to hire a lawyer. The costs are incredibly asymmetric. This leads to the majority of people complying, which only emboldens the state.

Whats more crazy is that this is partially false: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/powers-and-operat...

Under normal circumstances, you don't have. BUT there is schedule 7 powers: https://www.counterterrorism.police.uk/what-we-do/counter-te...

> Under Schedule 7, a police officer with the mandated accreditation does not need prior authority or suspicion to stop, question, search, or if necessary, detain someone. However, they may only stop and question a person for the purpose of allowing a determination of whether that person appears to be someone who is or who has been concerned in the commission, preparation or instigation of acts of terrorism.

How this is abused on the other hand, I presume, might depend on your skin shade.

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