Breitbart News revealed that the FBI used advanced, unreleased technology from Cellebrite to access the phone of Thomas Matthew Crooks, the shooter in the recent attack on former President Donald Trump.
The successful unlocking aimed to uncover the motives behind the attack but sparked concerns over using such technology.
Thomas Matthew Crooks was identified as the shooter in the incident that occurred at a rally in Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, where former President Donald Trump was speaking. Trump sustained a bullet wound to his ear, while a spectator was killed and others were injured during the incident.
The FBI initially tried to access Crooks' phone using their existing Cellebrite software license, but their attempts were unsuccessful. According to sources familiar with the investigation, the local FBI bureau in Pittsburgh sought help from Cellebrite’s federal team after failing to unlock the device.
The device in question, a newer Samsung model equipped with the Android operating system, proved resistant to their initial data extraction attempts.
After the failed attempts, the FBI made a direct appeal to Cellebrite for further assistance. Cellebrite provided a new, unreleased software still in development to the FBI in Quantico, Virginia.
Once the FBI received the software update from Cellebrite, it took approximately 40 minutes to unlock the phone. The Washington Post first reported on the FBI’s use of Cellebrite technology in this case, revealing the speed and effectiveness of the new software.
Cellebrite's technology employs techniques to disable built-in mechanisms that block repeated passcode attempts while generating millions of codes. This sophisticated approach proved successful, whereas previous efforts had failed.
Privacy advocates have raised ethical concerns regarding the use of such advanced technology, arguing that it could be misused for unethical hacking or by foreign governments against activists.
Cellebrite, a Nasdaq-listed company, reported annual recurring revenue of $89.6 million in the first quarter of 2024 and involvement in over 5 million cases. The company has ceased operations in certain locations, including China and Hong Kong, citing human rights concerns.
The company states that its software is used solely for unlocking seized phones in legally sanctioned cases and not for surveillance purposes. This stance aims to address privacy concerns and ensure the ethical use of their technology.
“The company maintains that its software is used solely for unlocking seized phones in legally sanctioned cases and not for surveillance purposes,” a Cellebrite spokesperson said.
The FBI’s use of unreleased Cellebrite technology to unlock Thomas Matthew Crooks' phone following the attack on former President Donald Trump demonstrates both the capabilities and the controversies of modern forensic tools. The incident in Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, which resulted in a bullet wound to Trump’s ear and the death of a spectator, serves as a reminder of the complexities and ethical dilemmas in the intersection of technology and law enforcement.
