The FBI reportedly utilized advanced, unreleased technology from digital intelligence company Cellebrite to access the phone of Thomas Matthew Crooks, the man identified as the shooter in the recent attack on former President Donald Trump.
Bloomberg reports that in the wake of the shooting incident at a rally in Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, which left former President Donald Trump with a bullet wound to his ear and resulted in the death of a spectator as well as other injuries, the FBI faced a critical challenge in accessing the shooter’s phone. The device, identified as a newer Samsung model running Android’s operating system, proved resistant to the FBI’s initial attempts at data extraction using their existing Cellebrite software license.
The urgency of the situation reportedly prompted FBI agents to make a direct appeal to Cellebrite, an Israel-founded digital intelligence company that provides technology to various U.S. federal agencies. The FBI’s goal was to extract data from the device to help uncover the motives behind the attack carried out by Crooks, who was killed during the incident.
According to sources familiar with the investigation, who spoke on condition of anonymity, the local FBI bureau in Pittsburgh initially attempted to use their licensed Cellebrite software to identify or bypass the phone’s passcode. However, this attempt proved unsuccessful, necessitating further assistance from Cellebrite’s federal team.
In response to the FBI’s request, Cellebrite swiftly provided additional technical support and transferred new, unreleased software that was still in development to the FBI in Quantico, Virginia. This rapid response underscores the critical nature of the investigation and the company’s ability to provide cutting-edge solutions in high-stakes situations.
The Washington Post, which first reported on the FBI’s use of Cellebrite technology in this case, revealed that once the FBI received the software update, it took approximately 40 minutes to unlock the phone. The specific method used to gain access to Crooks’ phone remains unclear, as Cellebrite’s software employs various techniques, including disabling built-in mechanisms that block repeated passcode attempts while simultaneously generating millions of codes.
Cellebrite, a Nasdaq-listed company, has reported that about a fifth of its public sector work is for federal customers. In the first quarter of 2024, the company announced annual recurring revenue of $89.6 million and claimed involvement in over 5 million cases. This incident highlights Cellebrite’s ongoing efforts to expand its business with US federal customers, as evidenced by a recent company statement.
While Cellebrite’s technology has proven invaluable in law enforcement investigations, it has not been without controversy. Privacy advocates have raised concerns about the ethical implications of such technology, arguing that it could be used for unethical hacking or by foreign governments against activists. In response to these concerns, Cellebrite reported to federal regulators in 2021 that it had ceased operations in certain locations, including China and Hong Kong, due to human rights concerns.
The company maintains that its software is used solely for unlocking seized phones in legally sanctioned cases and not for surveillance purposes. This stance reflects the ongoing debate surrounding the balance between law enforcement capabilities and individual privacy rights in the digital age.
Read more at Bloomberg here.
Lucas Nolan is a reporter for Breitbart News covering issues of free speech and online censorship.
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