Joe Rossignol, writing for MacRumors:

Norwegian police will force a 27-year-old man accused of drug possession to unlock his iPhone with Touch ID, according to local website Bergensavisen [Google Translate]. The police believe the confiscated smartphone may contain evidence about where he obtained the illegal substance.

And:

It remains unclear if Norwegian police are aware that Touch ID requires a passcode as supplemental verification after 48 hours of disuse, a restart, or three failed fingerprint entry attempts. The accused was arrested on January 25, so it may be impossible for authorities to unlock his iPhone with Touch ID without taking additional measures.

In the U.S., a Virginia court ruled that fingerprints, unlike passwords and passcodes, are not protected by the Fifth Amendment. In his ruling, Judge Steven C. Frucci opined that “giving police a fingerprint is akin to providing a DNA or handwriting sample or an actual key,” which is permitted under federal law.

Interesting all the way around. Even if the Norwegian courts were too slow to be effective in this case, they’ve now established a precedent.

More interesting is the issue of police in the US being able to force you to use your finger to unlock your phone.

[H/T David Sobsey]