The surveillance state goes local: Area police departments may be using Stingray technology to spy

The surveillance state goes local: Area police departments may be using Stingray technology to spy on you without a warrant — and the Feds don’t want you to know

I was largely unaware of the level of potential surveillance upon the people of the United States by the police departments of the country, but apparently, there is something called "Stingray" where police can access cell phones without warrant.

For the past several years, we’ve been learning more and more about police use of “cell site simulators” across the country, and it’s a disturbing trend. These devices, regularly referred to by the brand name Stingray, are about the size of a briefcase and mimic cell phone towers so phones nearby will try to access them. Once a signal reaches the Stingray, the machine can gather information about the phone. That means a strategically placed Stingray can access hundreds of phones in an area and figure out who the phones belong to and where they are, all without a warrant.

Because of secrecy agreements signed by police departments nationwide and the government’s general lack of transparency when it comes to surveillance, it’s been difficult for Americans to learn who’s using these devices, how they’re using them and why. Organizations like the ACLU have filed numerous lawsuits to learn more about Stingrays, and has gradually gained quite a bit of knowledge, but roadblocks are constantly being put in the way.

Technology that could be used for the greater good, but can also easily be abused. Lets read more.

Because of secrecy agreements signed by police departments nationwide and the government’s general lack of transparency when it comes to surveillance, it’s been difficult for Americans to learn who’s using these devices, how they’re using them and why. Organizations like the ACLU have filed numerous lawsuits to learn more about Stingrays, and has gradually gained quite a bit of knowledge, but roadblocks are constantly being put in the way.

For example, the ACLU recently filed a lawsuit against the Delaware State Police after they refused to give up information on their use of Stingrays in response to a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request. Furthermore, the Department of Justice stepped in and backed up the decision made by Delaware police.

So the supposed masters of surveillance dont want to be surveilled by the people, or even known about. Interesting.

“Although the United States is not a party to this case, it has a direct interest in the protection of the information withheld,” DOJ attorneys wrote. “Cell-site simulator technology is a key tool in the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s investigation, interdiction and suppression of criminal and terrorist activity. Disclosure of even minor details about this technology will jeopardize, if not vitiate, the ability of the FBI and the larger law enforcement community to successfully deploy this valuable technology.”

Nathan Freed Wessler, a staff attorney for the ACLU, told Salon that the Department of Justice frequently makes this argument.

“This seems to be secrecy in the interest of impunity,” Wessler told Salon. “To us, their arguments for secrecy fall apart pretty quickly, as a matter of logic. We’re left with just a reflexive drive towards hiding information about surveillance from the public.”

Any further information on this, if any, is appreciated for the purpose of this thread.

My question: how far will surveillance impede liberties and freedoms in the U.S.A. before people begin to demand changes?


Thanks for reading.


Here's a useful link regarding info dug up on departments using this tech:

www.aclu.org...



Source:

www.salon.com... rant-and-the-feds-dont-want-you-to-know/

Live in a way that you can sleep at night. If others object then you can still sleep at night.

a reply to: OneGoal

there are a couple of threads about this on ATS. some go back to 2011.
The "Stingray" Surveillance Device

'Stingray' Phone Tracker Fuels Constitutional Clash

Judge Allows FBI To Use Evidence Collected Via "Stingray" Fake Cell Towers

Secret Military Device ‘Hailstorm’ Used By Michigan Police, FOIA Request By Detroit News Denied

Dozens of fake cell phone towers discovered eavesdropping on Android devices

The Catalog of Spying Gear the Feds Don't Want You to See

originally posted by: hounddoghowlie
a reply to: OneGoal

there are a couple of threads about this on ATS. some go back to 2011.
The "Stingray" Surveillance Device

'Stingray' Phone Tracker Fuels Constitutional Clash

Judge Allows FBI To Use Evidence Collected Via "Stingray" Fake Cell Towers

Secret Military Device ‘Hailstorm’ Used By Michigan Police, FOIA Request By Detroit News Denied

Dozens of fake cell phone towers discovered eavesdropping on Android devices

The Catalog of Spying Gear the Feds Don't Want You to See

Cheers thanks for the update. Mods please remove if necessary.

a reply to: hounddoghowlie

Why? Does this change the way to grocery shop? Does this change your family situation? What does this election actually change? Can you choose what to buy? Can you choose where to buy gas? Do you want to buy gas? Think of what you actually want then imagine a world in which you are able to sleep at night and wake up to a good morning.

They have been using it for years where I come from. I believe the Harris Corp in Melbourne, Fl makes the device.

This is old news for seasoned ATS folks.

Voyeurism seems to be a consistent thread in the process of evolution. Why would it stop now?

a reply to: zookman44

Think of what you actually want then imagine a world in which you are able to sleep at night and wake up to a good morning.

i do every morning, i just don't play their game. and where my life might intersect with their surveillance like here, it can all be considered bullsh@@.

originally posted by: jrod
They have been using it for years where I come from. I believe the Harris Corp in Melbourne, Fl makes the device.

This is old news for seasoned ATS folks.

Been here since 2007 lurking and never knew! Guess my search skills need honing

a reply to: zookman44


not really wanting to shut down your thread, just giving the info you asked for. the citizens of the U.S have been under a full court press of surveillance since 2002, if not before.

Western society has always had a penchant for scrutiny. Hence the Christian system of governance, land ownership during the middle ages, and the oversight explicit in royal decree during the age of expansion. Scrutiny is not new, but it seems to be under its own observation by those who might question the position of those of authority.

a reply to: zookman44

Interesting thoughts.

Authority may not be as transparent or conspicuous as it may seem, however.

Don't get me wrong, i largely respect the police force in America. Most do their job to protect and serve. That shouldnt go unnoticed. Ive had many conversations with active and retired officers and detectives, and ive learned a lot; respect too.

However, the ever increasing surveillance leads me to wonder about their applications and potential abuse, not to mention infringment upon mandated rights.

As said before, i simply wonder how far the state of surveillance may go in the future, and whether or not people will be accepting of it. Are children being conditioned to be accepting of heightened surveillance, generation to generation?

Time will tell.

a reply to: OneGoal

Not to say that I am in favor of surveillance to the degree that we are now seeing, but with the disappearance of small towns and the rise of megacities, I think that people are more likely to trade their privacy for a perceived safety. I would imagine that surveillance in the future will be virtually 100% in public places. The home and private sanctuaries will be off limits for a while, but increasingly people are already placing devices in their own homes which have the ability to surveil. I would imaging that because humans cannot watch everything everyone does, certain behaviors will get flagged by AI then routed to the appropriate departments to handle misbehavior. Until this all gets worked out, there will probably be plenty of misidentification and innocent people will be placed in bad situations. We are already seeing this type of thing with facial recognition and address searches which lead to false arrest. I don't know how authorities can handle 300,000,000 people in the United States without using some sort of technological tools to do so.