First Case Surfaces of Law Enforcement Forcing Suspect to Unlock iPhone With Face ID

[barkomatic]

It's always extreme cases like this that involve a criminal that everyone hates--like a child abuser or a terrorist--that the government uses as a justification to circumvent your privacy in *all* situations.

Once the backdoor is created(that will overcome even a passcode) that law enforcement wants, it will be just as easy to "accidentally" access the private information, communication and contacts of a person who holds the wrong opinions.

 

[Ghost31]

You can choose not to use it should you have sensitive material in your iPhone though.

Um no? Apple is responsible for everything I do in life. It’s their fault I used a feature I didn’t wanna use

 

[tridley68]

I’m pretty sure that’s a woman.

Hard to tell these days but my guess is you are right.

 

[haruhiko]

Press and hold power and volume up
Face ID disabled. Problem solved. Non issue.

 

[AustinIllini]

"Your Face is Your Paswword" Thanks Apple.

Hit the sleep-wake button and volume up. FaceID gets disabled and you can say you forgot your password.

 

[mazz0]

My friend grabbed my phone while we were at a wedding this weekend and unlocked it and tried to monkey around with it. I wasn't happy! He folded his arm and took a photo of the crease in his elbow to make it look like his bum and made it my lock screen wallpaper.

Haha, I just tried that, it's pretty good! Makes it look like I have one bum cheeks that's much hairier than the other, but never mind that...

 

[ctdonath]

"Your Face is Your Paswword" Thanks Apple.

You don't have to use biometric IDs.
You can set the unlock code to any long string.

Any parent will understand the problem with Face ID being [ab]used by others to access secured actions.
(Still on an iPhone 6S, my kids keep trying to force/trick my finger onto the fingerprint reader.)

In this realm re: police, warrants, & security, I subscribe to the "rag doll" theory - if they can use your limp uncooperative body to acquire data (like they've long been able to take fingerprints & DNA), they don't need your consent.

This is why 2-factor authentication is important: you are authenticated via your possession of some thing (fingerprint, face, retina, another device), AND your possession of some knowledge (passcode, voiceprint, algorithm).

If you're doing something illegal, and trying to secure that information via face or fingerprint, you're stupid.

 

[TheShadowKnows!]

If you have the setting "Require Attention for Face ID" on, then you have to have your eyes properly open to unlock the phone. With that setting on I find that it will stay locked if I look at it by squinting.

LOL dude. "If I look at it squinting" before or after waterboarding and sleep deprivation? /s [Just kidding.]

 

[Wando64]

So, let me summarise:
Hold power button and volume up buttons for three seconds, preferably with your eyes closed, whilst saying “LA LA LA LA LA” very loudly with your fingers in your ears.
After that, nobody will ever be able to log into your phone (or want to, for what matters).

 

[macduke]

If your iPhone is across the room, just shout "Hey Siri, whose phone is this?" and it will lock down your iPhone to passcode only. You can also hold down the power and either volume button on iPhone 8/X or newer, or quickly press the lock button five times on the iPhone 7 or earlier, and nobody will be able to use biometric authentication against you. This is also useful as a discreet way to lock your phone down if someone is trying to steal it.

 

[that be me]

Posted several times before. Please disregard.

 

[dysamoria]

Why do all the FaceID marketing images show people’s faces getting some kind of flashlight FX projected on them? Does FaceID shine a flash at you every time? That’d be annoying as hell. Especially at night. Actually: How do people unlock these things in the middle of the night when your room is dark? Passcode or nothing?

 

[neuropsychguy]

Do the moderators not know the definition of forced?

The Forbes staff writer also doesn't know the definition. "With a search warrant in hand, a federal investigator told Michalski to put his face in front of the phone, which he duly did."

This is a complete non-story.

 

[rpe33]

It's actually easier to avoid being forced into unlocking your phone using Face ID than it is with touch ID. All you have to do is close your eyes.

 

[Smoothie]

You could always cut off your nose to spite your face. It would also make an interesting mug shot.

 

[rpe33]

Why do all the FaceID marketing images show people’s faces getting some kind of flashlight FX projected on them? Does FaceID shine a flash at you every time? That’d be annoying as hell. Especially at night. Actually: How do people unlock these things in the middle of the night when your room is dark? Passcode or nothing?

It's infrared light so it's not visible. BTW, Face ID has been out for over a year now and you still don't know how it works?

 

[Bornee35]

If your iPhone is across the room, just shout "Hey Siri, whose phone is this?" and it will lock down your iPhone to passcode only. You can also hold down the power and either volume button on iPhone 8/X or newer, or quickly press the lock button five times on the iPhone 7 or earlier, and nobody will be able to use biometric authentication against you. This is also useful as a discreet way to lock your phone down if someone is trying to steal it.

putting a lot of faith in Siri. Imagine getting an "i'm sorry about this but I cannot take any requests right now" in a dire situation.

 

[fokmik]

If your iPhone is across the room, just shout "Hey Siri, whose phone is this?" and it will lock down your iPhone to passcode only. You can also hold down the power and either volume button on iPhone 8/X or newer, or quickly press the lock button five times on the iPhone 7 or earlier, and nobody will be able to use biometric authentication against you. This is also useful as a discreet way to lock your phone down if someone is trying to steal it.

This 100% the 5 times power button works on any iphone
[doublepost=1538404213][/doublepost]

putting a lot of faith in Siri. Imagine getting an "i'm sorry about this but I cannot take any requests right now" in a dire situation.

You can try again...until it works

 

[newellj]

Hit the sleep-wake button and volume up. FaceID gets disabled and you can say you forgot your password.

You don't have to say you forgot it. All you have to do is refuse. Unlike your biometrics...the law needs to be changed, or challenged.

 

[tooloud10]

If your iPhone is across the room, just shout "Hey Siri, whose phone is this?" and it will lock down your iPhone to passcode only. You can also hold down the power and either volume button on iPhone 8/X or newer, or quickly press the lock button five times on the iPhone 7 or earlier, and nobody will be able to use biometric authentication against you. This is also useful as a discreet way to lock your phone down if someone is trying to steal it.

Very nice--I did not know that but just tried and it works.

 

[ThunderSkunk]

Posted several times before. Please disregard.

Are not complete sentences.

 

[tooloud10]

putting a lot of faith in Siri. Imagine getting an "i'm sorry about this but I cannot take any requests right now" in a dire situation.

I'm not sure that any faith is involved. It's literally the only way to disable FaceID or TouchID if you cannot reach your device, so it's clearly worth the effort.

 

[Dionte]

Set a Siri shortcut telling her to self destruct.

 

[macduke]

putting a lot of faith in Siri. Imagine getting an "i'm sorry about this but I cannot take any requests right now" in a dire situation.

It is better than nothing and you can do it with your hands in the air. Do you have a better alternative? Should they not have implemented it at all because it has the potential to not work?

If you try to run to your phone, they might think you're going for a weapon or something. At least if the phone is on you, you can be a bit more discreet. A good idea to do this any time you're pulled over for any reason or for some reason think you might be arrested soon. With the Hey Siri method, you could do it while handcuffed and they're bringing the phone over to scan your face. If you have eye detection turned on, close your eyes and yell "Hey Siri, whose phone is this?!?" and watch all of their faces turn, lol. Outsmarted! If the police are smart enough they'll turn on airplane mode before bringing it in front of you, but there's a pretty good chance they'll forget so it's worth a try. Also if eye detection is on, I'm not sure if they can force your eye open, and even if they do you can always look in the opposite direction. After several failed attempts it will lock Face ID anyway.

 

[bflowers]

If you have the setting "Require Attention for Face ID" on, then you have to have your eyes properly open to unlock the phone. With that setting on I find that it will stay locked if I look at it by squinting.

I have mine set that way, then, when the kids try to force me to unlock by sticking my phone in my face, I can deny them access by closing an eye or looking away.