I am not an Apple devotee.
My first PC was an 088 at work.
At Home I had a MAC 11ci. When I discovered how limited it was due to being a closed system, I switched to what was then known as IBM PC’s.
I just don’t trust Google.
It’s a Norcal liberal outfit.
Never said you were an Apple devotee, and I don’t think I even implied that... I was addressing the question of whether or not police could access your phones. That is what you asked, right?
If it’s your phone, then the LEO must get a warrant for YOUR phone, and cannot go through Google or Samsung or Verizon. If you don’t own the phone, then the LEO would need a warrant for the actual owner (typically the carrier, Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile, etc) to access the phone.
But since Google doesn’t own the phone at all, nor the operating system (it’s been GPL’d - open sourced) I don’t think an LEO serving a warrant on Google to access your Android phone would do anything. They couldn’t access the data stream (that’s the carrier), and they could not access the phone (that’s the carrier or you, depending upon who owns it).
It would be like the LEO wanting to search your car, and issuing a warrant to Ford or Honda. They have nothing to do with it - the warrant either goes to you or the registered, legal owner. Not the maker of the vehicle.
As far as a NorCal liberal outfit, Apple fits that mold too...;) Of course, MOST companies in the Bay area fit that mold!