New FOIA Documents Confirm FBI Used Dirtboxes on Planes Without Any Policies or Legal Guidance

It seems the Feds have finally "fessed up" and openly admitted to to snarfing up vast quantities of innocent peoples cell phone IMSI data via planes circling over certain cities. No surprise to those that have repeatedly seen these surveillance planes over head the past few years. However, the fact remains that innocent people had their IMSI data collected without any oversight or warrant issued whatever.

New FOIA Documents Confirm FBI Used Dirtboxes on Planes Without Any Policies or Legal Guidance

The Wall Street Journal revealed that the Marshals have been flying planes using DRT’s Stingray-like technology since 2007. The planes reportedly were based out of five metropolitan airports and shared by multiple agencies within the DOJ, even as sources within the agency questioned the legality of the program. A follow-up article reported that the CIA provided cell phone tracking equipment to the Marshals and then spent years helping them develop and test this capability for use in a law enforcement capacity within the United States.

The documents are mostly internal emails and presentations going as far back as 2009, including discussions between FBI lawyers and the Operational Technology Division (OTD), which develops and oversees the FBI’s surveillance techniques. The documents paint a picture that is similar to the one that has emerged around stingrays and IMSI catchers more generally: the FBI began testing and then using dirtboxes on planes without any overarching policy or legal guidance on their place in investigations.

For those unaware, IMSI stands for International Mobile Subscriber Identity, and is

...a unique number, usually fifteen digits, associated with Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) and Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) network mobile phone users. The IMSI is a unique number identifying a GSM subscriber

source

It is the unique ID stored in your SIM card in the phone, and helps the cell tower know who you are and can calculate where you are for connection purposes and to update it's Home Location Register (HLR) or the Visitor Location Register (VLR).

To me, this sounds like a clear case of breach of the US. 4th Amendment, which clearly states:

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.

I am not shocked at their acts, but shocked that the news media seems to not be touting this news (and it IS news) from the rooftops. I guess when the Kardashians last took a crap is more important?

a reply to: Krakatoa
I agree that they should have a warrant before doing all of this, but they didn't get one.... and what are we to do about it?
Our government is out of control.

a reply to: butcherguy

Your answer is right there in the article...

We’re sure there’s more to be gleaned from these documents, so we encourage you to look through the documents and see what you find. And, of course, we’ll be hoping to force more transparency when we challenge the government’s redactions in court later this spring.

I put it to ATS to take up the baton and find more in these documents for the EFF to use in its lawsuit.
US Marshals Airborne IMSI Catchers

originally posted by: Krakatoa

To me, this sounds like a clear case of breach of the US. 4th Amendment.

To me this is a clear case of Orwellian times, the 4th is not even a consideration, and by those same poor innocent FBI people who were uderfunded and tramped on by the CIA and were so badly treated over 9/11, and that nobody would listen to them..Pfff, feck the FBI and the CIA and the rest..they are all criminals.

a reply to: smurfy

Agreed. When internal politics and infighting cost the lives of innocents, heads should roll. But, we citizens also are responsible for not watching the watchers too.

Wouldn't you agree?

originally posted by: Krakatoa
a reply to: smurfy

Agreed. When internal politics and infighting cost the lives of innocents, heads should roll. But, we citizens also are responsible for not watching the watchers too.

Wouldn't you agree?

I would agree, I do agree, but the playing fields are not exactly level are they? did you see some of the stuff they threw at the OWS movement? a virtual war machine is what, courtesy of the DHS and co-ordinated by the FBI.
It was disgusting.

So, this was called, 'Going Dark Initiative' under the The CALEA, Communications Assistance for Law Enforcement Act 1994.
Purpose,
To amend title 18, United States Code, to make clear a telecommunications carrier's duty to cooperate in the interception of communications for Law Enforcement purposes, and for other purposes.
The U.S. Congress passed the CALEA to aid law enforcement in its effort to conduct criminal investigations requiring wiretapping of digital telephone networks. The Act obliges telecommunications companies to make it possible for law enforcement agencies to tap any phone conversations carried out over its networks, as well as making call detail records available. The act stipulates that it must not be possible for a person to detect that his or her conversation is being monitored by the respective government agency.
Extensions later applied,
Common carriers, facilities-based broadband Internet access providers, and providers of interconnected Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) service, SKYP? all three types of entities are defined to be “telecommunications carriers” and must meet the requirements of CALEA.

Isn't that just wonderful? this has been going on for years and all comms must comply despite the shammy public protests.
I really do hope that Apple win over the FBI in that case, since the FBI have shown not be be diligent in their handling of the technology.
CALEA is intended to pursue criminality at base, while the hat and collar up brigade treat everybody as criminals...except themselves, while they are in fact...the criminals.

Jeezuz , in the words of the Immortal Bob Dylan....
"You don't need a weatherman to know which way the wind blows.....
I await the Burning Man.....

a reply to: Krakatoa

Someone at that 'agency' needs to go to jail. Find him or her and lock them the hell up. This is a no brainer and we need to start demanding accountability.

From the skies to vans on the ground(in NYC...) there's no bounds on abuse of the Fourth.

s&f hope this brings more attention than it has been.
a reply to: Krakatoa

I am not shocked at their acts, but shocked that the news media seems to not be touting this news (and it IS news) from the rooftops. I guess when the Kardashians last took a crap is more important?

Oh, yeah it's more important I mean they like sharing their selfies anyway. After all they haven't done anything wrong.
/sarcasm.

originally posted by: Krakatoa
It seems the Feds have finally "fessed up" and openly admitted to to snarfing up vast quantities of innocent peoples cell phone IMSI data via planes circling over certain cities. No surprise to those that have repeatedly seen these surveillance planes over head the past few years. However, the fact remains that innocent people had their IMSI data collected without any oversight or warrant issued whatever.

New FOIA Documents Confirm FBI Used Dirtboxes on Planes Without Any Policies or Legal Guidance

The Wall Street Journal revealed that the Marshals have been flying planes using DRT’s Stingray-like technology since 2007. The planes reportedly were based out of five metropolitan airports and shared by multiple agencies within the DOJ, even as sources within the agency questioned the legality of the program. A follow-up article reported that the CIA provided cell phone tracking equipment to the Marshals and then spent years helping them develop and test this capability for use in a law enforcement capacity within the United States.

The documents are mostly internal emails and presentations going as far back as 2009, including discussions between FBI lawyers and the Operational Technology Division (OTD), which develops and oversees the FBI’s surveillance techniques. The documents paint a picture that is similar to the one that has emerged around stingrays and IMSI catchers more generally: the FBI began testing and then using dirtboxes on planes without any overarching policy or legal guidance on their place in investigations.

For those unaware, IMSI stands for International Mobile Subscriber Identity, and is

...a unique number, usually fifteen digits, associated with Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) and Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) network mobile phone users. The IMSI is a unique number identifying a GSM subscriber

source

It is the unique ID stored in your SIM card in the phone, and helps the cell tower know who you are and can calculate where you are for connection purposes and to update it's Home Location Register (HLR) or the Visitor Location Register (VLR).

To me, this sounds like a clear case of breach of the US. 4th Amendment, which clearly states:

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.

I am not shocked at their acts, but shocked that the news media seems to not be touting this news (and it IS news) from the rooftops. I guess when the Kardashians last took a crap is more important?

a reply to: Krakatoa

The Los Angeles Police Department has this technology (at least it was stated in an article and people were outraged) and they would circle certain areas collecting phone ID's as some precursor to building a case against someone who hasn't committed a crime yet...sounds like that movie Minority Report.

I actually wanted to comment on Kerry Cassidy but since this is my first time here unfortunately I wasn't able to. All I know is a new video she posted titled "One of the best Kerry Cassidy seminars EVER!" was the title. Her opening line was "many people collect evidence with documentation, I collect evidence by witness testimony" which any expert law enforcement agent, FBI interviewer, etc will ALL say is repeatedly proven to be the least accurate. Am I the only one who got a vibe that she was leading the people being interviewed to add to their "revealing of top secret information and programs"?! I turned away after 5 minutes of the first video I saw, my neighbor thinks she's some genius... and my neighbor used to host these biggest names in UFOlogy and the Esoteric in Orange County, California

I don't how much evidence the American people need.
As I said minutes ago in another thread, touching on yet ANOTHER story of Orwell's vision coming to fruition.....
Take the red pill.
There were stands against this breach of rights happening, no one did anything in the form of support. The point of no return is speeding at us. Take my guns, take my rights, pat me down and make me show my papers at ever corner. We fear you, great and all seeing government.

Technically, they aren't' 'taking' anything from you because when you type, text or talk on a device you are 'putting it out there' of your own free will.

Once it transmits over cable or the 'airwaves' its from you, no longer yours.

Technically.