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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: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday October 25 2018, @03:28AM (2 children)
"Here's the problem with that ..."
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Your idea will remain in a theoretical state because what you propose is not going to be made available for purchase ( it would be outlawed quickly by the government which would be only too aware of its usefulness ) and because the size of the surface-mount electronics makes modding existing hardware to achieve your goals a practical impossibility.
My aluminum pouch DOES work, and I can do without GPS or music when I want privacy. It's more useful to have something that actually works than to engage in mental masturbation about a device you want but will never have. Of course you probably think it's more fun to jerk off than to get laid ...
(Score: 2) by hemocyanin on Thursday October 25 2018, @07:44PM (1 child)
The first part of your response was a fair criticism. The second not so much. Secondly, you really do need to make sure that there is no gap in the foil coverage. Last night I took my phone and totally wrapped it in foil. It did not ring when I called it when the phone was completely wrapped and the foil folded over itself. However, when there was one edge of unsealed foil leaving about 1/8th inch gap (long side), the phone rang when I called it. A zippered foil pouch might leave enough room for signals to get out/in. A fold over pouch could leave openings at the ends underneath the flap. Of course, if I wanted to totally disable the phone, I could just pull the battery.
(Score: 2) by hemocyanin on Thursday October 25 2018, @07:46PM
I did not test the microphone when totally sealed in foil -- I think I will try that tonight but I suspect it will be able to record something through the foil.