CBP Seeks Advanced Tech to Uncover Hidden Phone Data
▼ Summary
– CBP is seeking digital forensics tools to analyze data from seized devices, with capabilities like detecting hidden text messages, identifying objects in videos, and accessing encrypted chats.
– The agency aims to modernize its forensics program, noting a rise in device searches from 8,500 in 2015 to over 47,000 in recent years.
– CBP’s request follows reports of detaining travelers, questioning them, and searching their phones, including a case involving a professor allegedly sympathetic to Hezbollah.
– The chosen vendor will be contracted in Q3 2026, replacing CBP’s current $1.3M Cellebrite contracts expiring between 2025-2026.
– Cellebrite’s tools offer features like sorting images by content, filtering messages by topic, and mapping contacts, but the company declined to comment on CBP’s request.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection is actively seeking cutting-edge digital forensics technology to enhance its ability to extract and analyze data from electronic devices at border crossings. The agency recently issued a request for information (RFI) calling for tools capable of uncovering hidden text message languages, identifying specific objects in videos, accessing encrypted app chats, and detecting patterns in large datasets for intelligence purposes.
According to federal documents, CBP aims to modernize its digital forensics program, moving beyond its current reliance on Cellebrite’s extraction tools, which have been in use since 2008. Last year, the agency conducted searches on over 47,000 electronic devices, marking a significant increase from the 8,500 devices examined in 2015. The new RFI indicates plans to award a contract by mid-2026, coinciding with the expiration of existing Cellebrite agreements worth more than $1.3 million.
The push for advanced forensic capabilities comes amid growing scrutiny of CBP’s device search practices. Reports highlight instances where travelers have been detained and questioned about their political views, with some facing phone searches that led to denied entry. One notable case involved a Lebanese professor whose phone was allegedly flagged for content sympathetic to a former Hezbollah leader, resulting in her deportation.
While CBP has not disclosed all the tools currently in use, records show the agency employs Cellebrite’s Universal Forensic Extraction Device 4PC for PC and laptop analysis. The company’s broader Investigative Digital Intelligence Platform offers features like image categorization, message filtering, and location mapping, capabilities that align with CBP’s stated needs.
Neither CBP nor Cellebrite provided additional comments on the RFI, leaving questions unanswered about how the new technology will impact privacy and civil liberties. As the agency moves forward with its procurement plans, the balance between security and individual rights remains a critical discussion point.
(Source: Wired)
