Right or no right, I would rather not make my smartphone the focus of police attention at any stage.<p>I don't know how it is with other OS/phones, but my phone can take photos/video without unlocking. It's dangerous enough to stick a camera in a cop's face, but if you stick an unlocked phone in their face then I wouldn't really blame them for doing a little "asset forfeiture" on the spot. And then your active, locked or unlocked phone is in the custody of police.<p>If I had advance notice of a police confrontation, I'd be putting my phone in lockdown/shutdown mode. And if I were going to a rally/protest/riot/anything political, I'd be removing my sdcard and probably SIM card too, to leave them at home, and show up with a phone that's as empty as possible.<p>This whole bit about waving QR codes as event tickets or mobile transit passes bugs me. There is now even electronic driver's license and ID cards. Because the more we're accustomed to waving around our unlocked phones in busy, public areas, the more risk we face from cops, criminals, or whoever wants to seize that unlocked phone and do some real damage with open access to our accounts.<p>I'm perfectly OK with handing over a physical driver's license or passport to law enforcement in order to prove my identity. It's a whole other ball of wax to present an unlocked smartphone for that purpose, but that's the way we're heading.
You're at a severe disadvantage when pulled over by police. You may have the right to livestream a traffic stop. But the police officer has the right to do a lot more.<p>Your best bet is to not get pulled over at all.<p>If you do get pulled over, good luck. Pray that the police officer has the heart and mind of a civil servant and sees you as a peer.<p>I'm not violent and law enforcement wouldn't have a reason to do much more than issue me a ticket. But I am still nervous because of the power dynamic and the fact that I'm at a legal disadvantage for any altercation that might occur.<p>As much as I'd like to livestream a traffic stop, there's no way I'd do it. IMO, it increases the chances that an altercation occurs and that's precisely what I'm trying to avoid.
It's never occurred to me that it would be advantageous to do this. Would anyone like to guess why?<p>Relevant clip: watch to the end.
<a href="https://youtu.be/jRTU2iUNt94" rel="nofollow">https://youtu.be/jRTU2iUNt94</a>