If there's one thing you'd never think about when choosing a new phone model, it's that your choice could put you in law enforcement's crosshairs as a dangerous criminal.
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And yet, it's actually happening.
The Catalan police in Spain are keeping a very close eye on owners of Google-made smartphones — the Google Pixel.
The reason isn't that these owners belong to a cult of iPhone haters, but that these particular models are the preferred handset of drug dealers.
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Google's devices are considered exceptionally secure, thanks in part to a dedicated security chip called TITAN.
These security capabilities make Pixel devices the only phones on which an alternative operating system called GrapheneOS can be installed.
This operating system is favored by lawbreakers because it is extraordinarily focused on data security and privacy — to the point where it becomes very difficult for law enforcement to access information stored on the device and extract incriminating evidence from it.
Police can circumvent these limitations using spyware installed on the phone that broadcasts screen content in real time. But carrying out such an installation can be highly complex — both technically and legally.
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This is yet another example of the troubling duality of privacy in the digital age.
Users are deeply concerned about their privacy, yet that same privacy can allow terrorist groups and criminals to operate freely and without interference. The question of where to draw the line will continue to be tested, time and again.