A proposed law in the state of New York would allow police officers to scan cell phones to see if a driver was using their phone while operating their vehicle.

The technology would work like a breathalyzer, hence the name “textalyzer”. The machine could scan the phone and see if it was used recently, although the private information like message content and contacts would be hidden.

The idea has been in national headlines because of how the technology could be misused; the right to privacy has always been controversial. Drivers who refuse to hand over their phones will have the same consequences as those who refuse breathalyzers.

The proposed law is named after Evan Lieberman, a 19-year-old boy who was killed in a head-on collision in 2011. The driver who hit him was texting and driving.