(United States) San Diego is now under fire for allegedly hiring a tech company that provides iPhone spyware devices. In an exclusive report by NBC San Diego, the state reportedly paid over $15,000 for a company named Grayshift to use their iPhone spyware in tracking people's phones in the city. Is it true? 


San Diego uses iPhone spyware?

NBC San Diego claims in its exclusive report that the San Diego Police Department has been illegally tracking its citizens using their iPhones. 

As explained, it has been over two years since the department uses an illegal 'iPhone spyware.' This technology allows its users to unlock iPhones without the owners' know about. 

The spyware, called Graykey, is a software "that captures iPhone passcodes when their owners open their phones and then stores the passcode for officers to use to unlock the phones without the owner's knowledge."

It was made by an Atlanta-based company Grayshift. According to the report, the city's police department allegedly entered into a one-year agreement with the said spyware tech. 

In fact, in 2018, the San Diego Police Foundation reportedly issued a check on behalf of the San Diego Police Department to Grayshift LLC to pay for a year's contract. The news site obtained the image of the check, and it shows it cost exactly $15,030. 

San Diego Police Department admits the iPhone spyware

Though it is shocking, the San Diego police department admits the crime of using the said iPhone spyware. However, it was not meant to be a secret method, according to the agency. 

"I am not aware of any formal mandate by the city council, which requires the department to notify them of the acquisition of this technology," said Captain Jeff Jordon, who is with the department's Legislative Affairs Unit. "Since documents related to this technology have already been released publicly and posted on the city's web page, it's possible city council members may be aware of it."

Despite San Diego Police Department's explanation, civil rights advocate and former Deputy Public Defender Genevieve Jones-Wright said that they were not informed about the said technology.

"These are the types of discussions that we have to have. I can tell you that the city attorney herself doesn't know how many surveillance technology devices that our city is using, and that is problematic," said civil rights advocate and former Deputy Public Defender Genevieve Jones-Wright.

As they explained, the technology is only used for 'criminal investigations.' It was also false that they hide the specific installment of the spyware on the iPhone owners. To use the tech, the police department is required to be authorized by court orders and inform the owners about the tech. 

ALSO READ: 10 Best Apps to Spy on iPhone (No Jailbreak & No App Installation)

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Written by Jamie Pancho 

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