You're driving along the interstate when you see a familiar yet terrifying sight in the rear view mirror: A cop, right on your rear bumper, lights blazing. You pull over to the side of the road and get your license and registration ready. But the cop isn't so interested in those things. He wants your phone.
Can the cop paw through your smart phone, see who you called, read all your texts and email, check your map locations, and leer at your Snapchat photos without getting permission from a judge?
It all depends on where that road is. If you're in the deep south or California, the answer is likely to be yes. If you're in the far Northeast or Florida, the answer is no. And if you're anywhere else, it's more or less up to the cop.
Kash Hill at Forbes' The Not-So Private Parts blog has published a map that shows how different jurisdictions treat cell phone privacy. As she noted in another post, your cell phone data is much more private in Ohio than it is in California.
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