Google Android phones are no better. Android 3.0 will bring with it some powerful encryption features, and there's that will add fundamental encryption to Android and could be integrated into Android devices by handset manufacturers. But right now Android phones and tablets have almost no data protection.

RIM BlackBerry phones offer a , perhaps because they're aimed at enterprise users, and there's the rub. Data encryption on phones tends to be seen as an enterprise-level feature, where it's employed to protect employer data--and often in response to legislation.

However, every level of user can reasonably demand the same level of data protection.

Modern ARM processors used in most phones have encryption routines built into them, making data protection operations very simple to integrate without requiring huge amounts of battery power. So there's really is very little reason not to encrypt data.

Systems need to change, and handset manufacturers need to start taking the issue of data security far more seriously. Ultimately, it should be impossible for anybody--including law enforcement officers--to access our data without our express permission.