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Feds Order Google To Hand Over A Load Of Innocent Americans' Locations
Here's how it works: cops send Google specific coordinates and timezones within which crimes were committed. Then Google is asked to provide information on all users within those locations at those times, most likely including data on many innocent people. Those users could be Android phone owners, anyone running Google Maps or any individual running Google services on their cell, not just criminal suspects.
[...] "This fishing expedition infringes on the privacy rights of so many possible people who had the misfortune of being in an area where a crime is alleged to be committed," said Jerome Greco, staff attorney at the Legal Aid Society. "We should not allow for such broad access to the data of so many on the mere speculation that a suspect may have used a cellphone near the location of the crime."
[...] Not just Google
Captain John Sherwin of the Rochester Police Department in Minnesota said it wasn't just Google that could furnish cops with a startling mount of detailed location data. Facebook and Snapchat were two others who'd proven useful, he said.
Should we be concerned that government tracks people by their cell phones instead of using mandatory brain implants?
(Score: 4, Insightful) by Snotnose on Thursday October 25 2018, @01:32AM
Until one of these wide nets catches some poor sucker? Meanwhile, they archive all the data they get hoping to find some other poor schmuck. Doesn't matter if said schmuck is guilty or innocent, they have enough connections to shady people, whom were all found via wide nets. If the poor schmuck can't afford $100k in legal fees then, well, so sad too bad, should have chosen your friends and/or co-workers better.
When the dust settled America realized it was saved by a porn star.