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posted by martyb on Sunday January 29 2017, @12:21AM   Printer-friendly
from the to-protect-the-public-or-themselves? dept.

The New York Civil Liberties Union is pushing a new state bill that would require law enforcement to obtain a warrant prior to deploying a cell-site simulator, or stingray. The bill also includes other new restrictions.

Cell-site simulators, or fake cell towers, are often used by police to locate criminal suspects by tricking their phones into giving up their location. In some cases, simulators can also be used to intercept phone calls and text messages. Use of these devices has been heavily scrutinized in recent years—in September 2015, the Department of Justice said it would require its federal agents to seek a warrant before deployment.

[...] The bill, which was first reported by ZDNET, doesn't mention stingrays specifically. However, it specifically forbids law enforcement from accessing "electronic device information by means of physical interaction or electronic communication with the device" unless they have a warrant. There are a few narrow exceptions, such as exigent circumstances.

Source:
https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2017/01/new-york-lawmakers-want-local-cops-to-get-warrant-before-using-stingray/


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  • (Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday January 29 2017, @12:50AM

    by Anonymous Coward on Sunday January 29 2017, @12:50AM (#459993)

    Don't impose new rules on LEOs, get them to follow the spirit of the existing ones first...

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  • (Score: 2) by butthurt on Monday January 30 2017, @08:14AM

    by butthurt (6141) on Monday January 30 2017, @08:14AM (#460563) Journal

    Ahem.

    The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.

    —one of the existing ones