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The FBI is operating a small air force with scores of low-flying planes across the country carrying video and, at times, using cellphone surveillance technology — all hidden behind fictitious companies that are fronts for the government, per the Associated Press. The planes' surveillance equipment is generally used without a judge's approval.
From the article:
U.S. law enforcement officials confirmed for the first time the wide-scale use of the aircraft, which the AP traced to at least 13 fake companies, such as FVX Research, KQM Aviation, NBR Aviation and PXW Services. Even basic aspects of the program are withheld from the public in censored versions of official reports from the Justice Department's inspector general.
At least one Senator, Charles Grassley, chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, is concerned:
It's important that federal law enforcement personnel have the tools they need to find and catch criminals. But whenever an operation may also monitor the activities of Americans who are not the intended target, we must make darn sure that safeguards are in place to protect the civil liberties of innocent Americans.
These planes have the capability of mimicking cell towers and monitoring cell phones in the area, even if not in use. The FBI isn't the only agency doing this either, apparently. The DEA and Marshall's service also are operating their own fleets.
Original Submission
(Score: 5, Funny) by iwoloschin on Thursday June 04 2015, @01:07AM
So if they're spoofing cellphone towers, why don't we just go spoof cellphones? There's a bit of muddy water regarding transmitting on those frequencies, but in theory, shouldn't the FBI/DEA/etc not be transmitting on those frequencies either since they don't own the license?
For bonus points, instead of just leaving cellphone spoofers laying around in Starbucks, tie them to squirrels and make sure the FBI is really confused as to why you're chasing someone up and down a tree in the middle of the woods.
(Score: 3, Informative) by tftp on Thursday June 04 2015, @03:56AM
There's a bit of muddy water regarding transmitting on those frequencies
There is no muddy water here. You may not transmit on those frequencies other than by using a device that is made for that by the owner of the spectrum.
but in theory, shouldn't the FBI/DEA/etc not be transmitting on those frequencies either since they don't own the license?
Owners of the spectrum have no illusion of freedom. They run their businesses only by permission of the government, and that permission may be recalled, and their independently thinking managers may lose their jobs. Everyone else has no standing to sue.
(Score: 4, Funny) by iwoloschin on Thursday June 04 2015, @11:27AM
Way to be a buzzkill.
Would you be happier if we just bought a ton of pre-paid burner phones and tied those to squirrels instead?
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday June 04 2015, @12:05PM
The thought of the FBI trying to arrest squirrels is amusing.
(Score: 3, Interesting) by urza9814 on Thursday June 04 2015, @01:53PM
That's...actually not an awful idea. Step it up a bit though. Get one of those $10 Linux boards, plug it into a $10 sim card, and program it to send periodic pings of encrypted data to random addresses. Should be able to get it down to five or ten bucks per month per device even buying everything retail....probably less if you get the sim from one of those specialized data-only providers -- but that might be too easy for them to filter out. Then again, if they start filtering those out, that could be easily taken advantage of too...
(Score: 1) by tftp on Thursday June 04 2015, @04:24PM
Would you be happier if we just bought a ton of pre-paid burner phones and tied those to squirrels instead?
Squirrels are almost sedentiary animals; they don't ever go farther than a couple hundred yards away from their homes. You might be better off tying that phone to a deer... as long as the deer is trained to recharge the phone.