There's an article in today's Detroit Free Press on how the iPhone is being utilized by law enforcement.
In short: "iPhone technology records a wealth of information that can be tapped more easily than BlackBerry and Droid devices to help police learn where you've been, what you were doing there and whether you've got something to hide." Even better for the cops, most people don't realize that their information (mapping, e-mail, websites, keystrokes) is recorded and saved.
I find these types of articles especially amusing because of the cops vs. robbers slant that suggests the good guys (police, feds) are solving crimes and catching criminals through manipulating technology. Take this mystifying quote from assistant Macomb County prosecutor Bill Cataldo, "There are some terrorists out there who obtained some information about a network from an iPhone." How an assistant county prosecutor has a lead on what terrorists are doing in Michigan is not explained, but it's important to understand what he's implying: The terrorists are already taking advantage of the iPhone so law enforcement needs to do the same.
From a civil liberties perspective, it's unacceptable that law enforcement is tracking people without a warrant. And make no mistake, that is what's happening. In one year, Sprint Nextel provided law enforcement agencies with the specific whereabouts of an unknown number of customers more than 8 million times. It's a primary reason that we need to urge Congress to update the Electronic Communications Privacy Act.
As for the iPhone and other smartphones, it's important to understand that convenience comes with a price. And don't assume just because you are not doing anything wrong no one is watching.