Police keep quiet about cell-tracking technology

[DJ MC]

Police across the country may be intercepting phone calls or text messages to find suspects using a technology tool known as Stingray. But they're refusing to turn over details about its use or heavily censoring files when they do.

 

Police say Stingray, a suitcase-size device that pretends it's a cell tower, is useful for catching criminals, but that's about all they'll say. For example, they won't disclose details about contracts with the device's manufacturer, Harris Corp., insisting they are protecting both police tactics and commercial secrets. 

 

The secrecy — at times imposed by nondisclosure agreements signed by police — is pitting obligations under private contracts against government transparency laws.

 

Even in states with strong open records laws, including Florida and Arizona, little is known about police use of Stingray and any rules governing it.

 

A Stingray device tricks all cellphones in an area into electronically identifying themselves and transmitting data to police rather than the nearest phone company's tower.

 

Because documents about Stingrays are regularly censored, it's not immediately clear what information the devices could capture, such as the contents of phone conversations and text messages, what they routinely do capture based on how they're configured or how often they might be used.

 

Read more: Source

 

All I have to say about this, illegal business controls America.  

[Turbo19]

Great, law enforcement doesn't want to talk, yet if it were an average citizen they'd be interrogating them to death. I suppose this applies to all but this being a matter of privacy I would say it's more unjust because of that. Ridiculous how they get away with this illegal practice.

[traingoat]

Look this isn't new. About 10 to 20 years ago you could buy a scanner for cellphones at Radio Shack  and you could listen to the conversations.  The scanner gave the identifiers of the callers.not the phone number as the tower operates that way.  What people forget is the airwaves are owned by the government and they can listen as anyone can.and cellphones like CB radio is listened to for passtime. You would be amazed at the crap you will hear.

[Dandre]

With the removal of old analog cellphones with the replacement of digital we now have GSM and CDMA and LTE mobile phones. Even if you get a scanner that has all of the frequencies unlocked, you still cant eaves drop on phonen calls like you used to be able to because all of the text messages and phone calls are encrypted. So all you would here is jumbled digital signals.

 

What people dont know is GSM and CDMA are very weak and not really secure. Their security is based on secrecy, as in, if you dont know much about how it works you cant brake the encryption, but GSM and CDMA utilizes a weak encryption algorythm that has already been cracked. If you know the right people you can buy a laptop that has the necessary hardware and it will passively break the encryption enabling you eaves drop on the calls, SMS, MMS text messages as well as see the IMEI and telephone number. These work usually within a 50 mile radius, some systems up to 75 miles. This technology has been around for years and this is what law enforcement uses. It is illegal for anyone to possess such equipment, but be aware, there are people out there besides law enforcement who have it. Dont be fooled into thinking your mobile phone is secure. A majority of the public doesnt have the knowledge or equipment to do this but the determined, law enforcement and private investigators do!

[QM1to6Ave]

With the removal of old analog cellphones with the replacement of digital we now have GSM and CDMA and LTE mobile phones. Even if you get a scanner that has all of the frequencies unlocked, you still cant eaves drop on phonen calls like you used to be able to because all of the text messages and phone calls are encrypted. So all you would here is jumbled digital signals. What people dont know is GSM and CDMA are very weak and not really secure. Their security is based on secrecy, as in, if you dont know much about how it works you cant brake the encryption, but GSM and CDMA utilizes a weak encryption algorythm that has already been cracked. If you know the right people you can buy a laptop that has the necessary hardware and it will passively break the encryption enabling you eaves drop on the calls, SMS, MMS text messages as well as see the IMEI and telephone number. These work usually within a 50 mile radius, some systems up to 75 miles. This technology has been around for years and this is what law enforcement uses. It is illegal for anyone to possess such equipment, but be aware, there are people out there besides law enforcement who have it. Dont be fooled into thinking your mobile phone is secure. A majority of the public doesnt have the knowledge or equipment to do this but the determined, law enforcement and private investigators do!

 

I've seen reports on the news of 12 year old kids buying some of this technology and screwing with people's cell phone's, redirecting calls, etc. It's crazy how much fraud and monitoring is out there

[Missabassie]

Big brother is watching....

Everyone should know that by now.

[DJ MC]

Big brother is watching.... Everyone should know that by now.

 

Everyone should've known that a while ago, especially with the NSA. People are now waking up to things like this. Most people didn't even know the NSA existed, until Snowden leaked information about it. Just shows you how clueless people are these days. 

[Turbo19]

Everyone should've known that a while ago, especially with the NSA. People are now waking up to things like this. Most people didn't even know the NSA existed, until Snowden leaked information about it. Just shows you how clueless people are these days. 

That's their fault. As usual the ignorant are left behind and suffer the consequences. Doesn't help that it's self inflicted.

 

As goes the order of natural selection.

[traingoat]

Everyone should've known that a while ago, especially with the NSA. People are now waking up to things like this. Most people didn't even know the NSA existed, until Snowden leaked information about it. Just shows you how clueless people are these days. 

No Such Agency has been around since the 50's and I swear giving out those Obamaphones was to monitor everybody even the poor. What many people forget with this technology a hard line phone you can't tap without a warrant.  They can put a number trace but not listen to. Portable phones use the airwaves and who owns the airwaves, the government and is the basis of this madness from jump. Most people don't realize it isn't just the call they monitor but also your location as those phones give their position within 10 feet to the system even when shut off. Unless that battery is removed its broadcasting.  What I find interesting is so many people feel they are that important they must have instant communications with them. 

[Trainmaster5]

The so-called " Obamaphones" were a result of the Universal Service Fund which was implemented after the break-up of AT&T. They pre-date Obama. The telecommunications act of 1996 started the low income and rural healthcare subsidies, the Universal Service fund, that have been credited/blamed on Obama. As traingoat correctly points out the self-important flocked en mass to the technology which made No Such Agency's job that much easier. Giving them to the poor at little or no cost only widened the pool of targets yet the unintelligent worry about who has such a phone rather than the fact that the poor person isn't paying as much to be spied on. When looked at in that perspective exactly whom is the bigger chump ? Apple, and now Samsung, even make it easier for No Such Agency to get your fingerprints no matter what those companies tell you about their latest and greatest phones. IMO traingoat and DJ MC see the big picture clearer than most people. Just my opinion though. Carry on.

[traingoat]

The so-called " Obamaphones" were a result of the Universal Service Fund which was implemented after the break-up of AT&T. They pre-date Obama. The telecommunications act of 1996 started the low income and rural healthcare subsidies, the Universal Service fund, that have been credited/blamed on Obama. As traingoat correctly points out the self-important flocked en mass to the technology which made No Such Agency's job that much easier. Giving them to the poor at little or no cost only widened the pool of targets yet the unintelligent worry about who has such a phone rather than the fact that the poor person isn't paying as much to be spied on. When looked at in that perspective exactly whom is the bigger chump ? Apple, and now Samsung, even make it easier for No Such Agency to get your fingerprints no matter what those companies tell you about their latest and greatest phones. IMO traingoat and DJ MC see the big picture clearer than most people. Just my opinion though. Carry on.

 

I thank you for your comments and you are correct.  Anything licensed by the government for use will have backdoors built-in or no approval and FCC does the approval.