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Arthur T Knackerbracket has found the following story:
Use of cell-phone spying technology has become widespread among U.S. law enforcement agencies and should be better regulated, according to a new congressional report.
Not only is the FBI deploying the technology, commonly called "Stingray" after one product made by Harris Corp., but so are state and local police. There are concerns that some law enforcement agencies have used Stingrays without securing search warrants, said the report from House Committee on Oversight and Reform, published on Monday.
"Absent proper oversight and safeguards, the domestic use of (Stingrays) may well infringe upon the constitutional rights of citizens to be free from unreasonable searches and seizures," it said.
The report focuses on privacy concerns with the controversial surveillance device, which can intercept a phone's location, along with calls, SMS text messages, and websites visited on the device.
[...] In 2015, both the Justice Department and the DHS issued new policies on the technology, requiring that a search warrant be obtained before a Stingray can be used. Prior to that, the two departments relied on varying policies that didn't always demand probable cause, the committee's report said.
State and local police are also using the technology without a uniform policy. In addition, the Justice Department has learned of "isolated incidents" where private entities may have used Stingrays, a possible violation of U.S. law, the report said.
-- submitted from IRC
(Score: 4, Interesting) by Snotnose on Tuesday December 20 2016, @12:28PM
It is unconstitutional. Even with a warrant, by sweeping up dozens if not hundreds of people each time they use it it's problematical.
Torpedoes are the only pedos Republicans are willing to fire.
(Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday December 20 2016, @01:37PM
I think we need to surround Capital Hill with stingrays. See how they like it.
(Score: 2) by tathra on Tuesday December 20 2016, @03:38PM
thats what i came here to say. there is no "could be", the damn thing is absolutely unconstitutional and there is no possible way its use could ever be constitutional.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday December 21 2016, @04:52AM
Everything our gov does these days is unconstitutional.
And I'm fairly certain our new Orange haired freak show will be doing all sorts of unconstitutional shit in the months ahead.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday December 20 2016, @12:38PM
Plenty of nerds are just salivating for the opportunity to get their hands on a stinkray and turn confidential informant.
I remember this one guy in college wanted to run his own free public email service because, "Dude like then I can read every email passing through my server!"
(Score: 1, Touché) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday December 20 2016, @03:52PM
You went to college with Zuckerfuck?
(Score: 4, Informative) by jasassin on Tuesday December 20 2016, @06:28PM
Doesn't matter. Probable cause is almost like parallel construction. It's a (un)justifiable means to an end (to search your shit/get you for anything [else]). Same thing as searching your vehicle. You do not consent to a search, so the cop calls the dog. The cop taps at the door... the dog barks, runs around in circles and they say ok we have to search your vehicle the dog said we can. Same shit.
They do what they want, because they can. Until the laws change... (repealing a law is a thousand times harder than passing it).
I do not know know of any laws regarding stingers. I do know of something called the fourth amendment, but then again the supreme court says its ok for cops to stop EVERY PERSON THAT GOES BY and give them a sobriety test at a checkpoint. So, I guess the fourth amendment is barely holding its ground at your front door.
BTW I've had a few encounters and had a cop ask if they could come in. I said no (I was even physically assaulted) and they asked in the most suspicious manner "Why wont you let us come in?" I said because "I can come outside."
In my mind I was thinking about the video by the lawyer I wish i had the link the only thing you say to a cop is "am i being detained or am i free to go". (They LOVE that.) Just only say that to them. I do. They LOVE it. (Not.) But I never got arrested. I just keep asking that simple question and don't answer any. Remember these words when dealing with the police and you will always walk away:
Am I being detained, or am I free to go?
jasassin@gmail.com GPG Key ID: 0xE6462C68A9A3DB5A
(Score: 1, Touché) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday December 21 2016, @02:07AM
'Because I don't let thugs inside, whether they are flying a flag, or wearing a badge.'
(Score: 2) by takyon on Tuesday December 20 2016, @07:03PM
If it's found unconstitutional, do a lot of people get to challenge their prison sentences because Stingray evidence was used?
[SIG] 10/28/2017: Soylent Upgrade v14 [soylentnews.org]
(Score: 2) by MichaelDavidCrawford on Wednesday December 21 2016, @01:52AM
here's the killer smartphone app:
Every cop carries a cell phone these days. Combine that with the Maps application - there are APIs for that - and you know what parts of your community permit you to exceed the speed limit or knock over liquor stores.
Yes I Have No Bananas. [gofundme.com]
(Score: 1, Touché) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday December 21 2016, @05:27PM
Yep.
All you need to do is be able to isolate which phones belong to the cops. You've got that data, do you?
And yeah, it is likely possible using a Stringray to correlate the data - there's the cop car, there's the signal from that bearing/it is reporting these GPS coords, so we have the phone number. Now let's replicate that for all officers in a city. But that's not nearly as simple as you're portraying, is it?
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday December 21 2016, @08:06AM
finally some good news.
afterall the robots running the mobile phone networks obey the 3 robotic laws and couldn't complain.
but they sure feel better having been confirmed as the sole trustworthy caretakers of all all the data, like
present phone location, last phone-2-network connection negotiation, call duration, received call (number), dialed (number)
and, mobile phone networks being huge GNAT networks, all websites and data transferred ...