It’s Friday, and we’re ready for the weekend, so we thought a good roundup of legal tech news was in order. Today, we hear a court’s concern for the sweeping government requests for searching electronic data, the Government gives procrastinators a break, and Apple gets multicultural – with its emojis, that is.

Judge Denies Request to Search iPhone

A few weeks ago, a college student found himself in trouble with the FBI after he bragged about making ricin, having learned to make it from an online search on his iPhone. The Government requested a search warrant to search the student’s iPhone and Judge Facciola of the District Court for the District of Columbia denied the request for a warrant because the request was overbroad, reports Ars Technica.

Prosecutors are going to need to brush up on their technical jargon, because the judge stated, use of technical markers “seems to be the only way to enforce the particularity requirement commanded by the Fourth Amendment.” With the privacy of digital files increasingly a hot topic for debate, we wouldn’t be surprised if this becomes a trend in more courts.

Health Exchange Deadline Extensions

Because of the lingering difficulties (and procrastination) of many people trying to enroll in healthcare exchanges, the Department of Health and Human Services has announced that they will extend the March 31 deadline for people who have at least begun the enrollment process by the 31st, reports Ars Technica.

Apple Announces Multicultural Emoji

Perhaps it’s in recognition of the upcoming anniversary of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, or maybe it’s just purely coincidence, but Apple has announced that it will be introducing more multicultural emoji in response to growing demand for a more diverse set of icons, reports The Washington Post.

What’s your favorite legal tech news of the week? Let us know on Facebook for FindLaw for Legal Professionals.

Related Resources:

  • 7 Gchat Etiquette Tips Every Lawyer Should Know (FindLaw’s Technologist Blog)
  • Security Warning: All Apple Devices Affected; Avoid Public Wi-Fi (FindLaw’s Technologist Blog)
  • Are Lawyers Really Flocking to Macs, iPhones, and iPads? (FindLaw’s Technologist Blog)

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