Sextortion suspect must unlock her seized iPhone, judge rules

Enlarge / Hencha Voigt has been ordered to provide police with the password to her seized iPhone. (credit: Hencha Voigt)

A Miami-Dade county judge has ruled that two defendants in a sextortion case must provide police with the passwords to their respective iPhones so authorities can unlock the devices and execute a search warrant.

Whether or not courts can force individuals to give up passwords to their locked computers or phones is not a settled matter. In essence, the question it boils down to is: "Is giving up a password testimonial, and therefore in violation of the Fifth Amendment? Or is it more like being asked to give up a key to a safety deposit box?"

"For me, this is like turning over a key to a safety deposit box," said Miami-Dade Circuit Judge Charles Johnson, who ruled from the bench during a Wednesday hearing, according to the Miami Herald.

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