” The GrayKey device was purchased by the Police Foundation and donated to the lab, ” a San Diego Police Department crime lab officer wrote in an email in 2018 to a contracting officer, referring to iPhone unlocking equipment. “ The license agreement I sent [is] to update the software that will enable us to move to jailbreak Apple smartphones of the latest generation, ” the employee added in an email.

GrayKey is manufactured by GrayShift in Atlanta, Georgia. GrayShift offers several versions of its hacking tool: an online version that requires an internet connection and can be used a limited number of times; a standalone version and a mobile version.

Curiously, the financing of the acquisition of the GrayKey device by the police came from extrabudgetary funds. This means that the introduction of such equipment into service may occur without due publicity. Now, activist groups are again turning their attention to police foundations, which are private charities that collect donations from banks and companies. With the funds received, they buy various products and then transfer them to the appropriate police departments. Due to the private nature of the property, they are less subject to public transparency laws, except in cases of formal interaction with the police department.