The Cell Phone Network: Law Enforcement's Surveillance Dream

[Grat3fulh3ad]

From ACLU blog

Yesterday at 4:41pm
Yesterday, WNYC's On the Media (OTM) profiled our cell phone tracking case. In this case, the ACLU, Center for Democracy and Technology and the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) asked the court to require that the government at least show probable cause before it can ask a wireless provider to fork over information about your whereabouts using GPS or cell tower tracking via your cell phone. We won in the district court (PDF); the government appealed that decision to the 3rd Circuit.

ACLU attorney Catherine Crump blogged about the case when it was heard by the 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals in Philadelphia last month.

EFF's Kevin Bankston, who argued the case before the 3rd Circuit, told OTM:

At a security and surveillance conference a few months ago, the Sprint electronic surveillance manager admitted that law enforcement was making such extensive use of [the cell phone tracking capability] that Sprint had set up essentially a Web portal for law enforcement to go to, to ping cell phones to find their location based on GPS. He said that that website had been used eight million times over a one-year period.

Basically, through our purchases of cell phones, we American consumers are building the technical infrastructure for a surveillance network that's so extensive and pervasive that even Orwell or J. Edgar Hoover, for that matter, could not have dreamt it up.
Eight. Million. Times. That sounds like an abuse of power to us.



In defense of this practice of surveillance via cell phone, the Justice Department argued that you — yes you, with the cell phone — gave up your Fourth Amendment rights when you bought the cell phone. And that if you don't want to be tracked, don't carry a cell phone.

We heartily disagree. Stay tuned…we expect a decision from the 3rd Circuit soon

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[gaiusmarius]

cool at least someone is fighting this crap. i read that they are using the listen in function more and more too. when you think of all the apps on some of these new phones, specially the iphone, it's a totalitarian governments surveillance wet dream what they can find out about folks using these things.

 

[RESINvention]

*Rant*

I'm about to puke with disgust at this government we empower. We gave up our 4th amendment rights when we bought a cell phone?!?! Come on!!! Here's an argument.. What if you were given the phone? Does this mean somebody else has the power to control YOUR rights? Lol what a crock of shit this spineless government runs on, manipulating and re-interpreting Law so much, it gets invented into new law! I never read or signed an agreement saying I gave up my 4th amendment right to legal search and seizure when I bought a cell phone.. These are rights that we were born with or were gained upon entry in to the USA. How dare you try to take them away from me.

Reap what you shall sow you cowards.

 

[Lazyman]

I've been hearing weird beeps on my phone with every phone call, wish I could tell if it was just my phone glitching after an OS upgrade, or someone in a telco tapping in and out of my calls. Grrr.

 

[~Shhh~]

That's absolutely right GM, a wet fookin dream for the scandalous lot!

8 million times is nothing short of ridiculous, makes me wanna bin my phone right now!

Lazyman kop a burner