Maybe the Most Orwellian Text Message a Government's Ever Sent

An even simpler solution than having a "throw-away" phone---not having a cell phone at all! Works for me! Drives people nuts when you tell you them you don't have one.
Personally, I'd like to see them banned in grocery stores as well as vehicles. Perhaps a sign on the door of the store: This is a place of business, not your personal phone booth! (rant over!)

reply to post by Snarl

The did. They've had this "ability" for YEARS. What you won't get out of them is if they were using it or not.

Indeed...they have. One of the most glaring examples and among the first to burst the bubble of this capability was actually a joint U.S./Russian security operation to assassinate a Chechen rebel commander. They didn't msg hiim, unless you consider the missile to have been the message. However, they did send the shot right down the bearing line of his satellite telephone and, presumably, right into his head.

I'm not sure on impact point ..since reports didn't indicate much remained of former Russian General Dzokhar Dudayev.

I worded what I said carefully tho...They didn't have the capability in Fall of 2011 to use in this way....or, to mass text individuals within a geo-fenced area like that. That is a bit impressive for intimidation tactics and I'll bet, quite effective on zapping Morale right into the toilet among those protesting.

reply to post by Wrabbit2000


They definitely have that technology now while they apparently did not during Occupy. I seem to recall that law enforcement was using twitter to track protest activity in Occupy. However, just a few months ago, everyone in my state received an amber alert text message to their phones all at once complete with the sound of tires screeching. I had family visiting from Arizona and it scared the bejesus out of them so it wasn't utilizing cell phone users whose residency was listed in the state. It was all cell phones currently within the state regardless of customer address. So they have that ability now. It was used for an amber alert but I imagine it could be used for a whole number of other things.

www.eonline.com...

Wrabbit2000
They didn't have the capability in Fall of 2011 to use in this way....or, to mass text individuals within a geo-fenced area like that.

"The" capability has existed since, at least, the late '90s ... and ... was in use. Granted, your geo-fenced areas were very broad back then. Tweaking and refinements could have put a very tight net over the OWS crowd specifically. If you were there, and you had an active communications device, you're on someone's list somewhere. Spade!!

cosmicexplorer
reply to post by Mamatus

 

Think of the poor bastard who was randomly walking by to get a loaf of bread and got that text...."ah #...might as well join them now!"

If you didn't stay long, metadata would get you 'off the list.'

ETA: See the two posts immediately above this one.

Snarl

cosmicexplorer
reply to post by Mamatus

 

Think of the poor bastard who was randomly walking by to get a loaf of bread and got that text...."ah #...might as well join them now!"

If you didn't stay long, metadata would get you 'off the list.'

ETA: See the two posts immediately above this one.

edit on 2212014 by Snarl because: ETA

Very true...however...what if they dont like you....its grounds to open up any kind of investigation they want....lets say now they get warrants to really search around ...just to make sure you arent a bad guy. Just the idea of it opens up to much...In America they would fall under reasonable suspicion just for receiving that text. Reasonable suspicion is enough to be detained for questioning. Who wants to live like that

Cellphone companies didn't do this and government didn't involve any cellphone company equipment or towers.

This was shown at DEFCON how to do this

A hacker bought $1200 worth of equipment on eBay

He placed an antenna on a pole 10 foot tall for the show.

He had everone pull out their cellphones

On the projector he typed in a message like "hello from defcon! You are pwned"

He pressed enter and then all of the sudden everyone's cells got text messaged. Verizon/ATT/Sprint/prepaid tracfone/gophone ,etc all displayed the text message

All he did was he placed a mini cell tower right there and everyone within range of that tower since their phones saw it as the strongest signal auto jumped to his rogue tower which then sent out the text message.

He explained these were built for FEMA, local towns and many large cities and allows them to take over by having a stronger signal they can get cellphones to jump onto their tower and send any messages they wish.

Many old school hams,have most the equipment to do this with already but you can buy it off eBay and make your own faux cell site and send texts

That is what Ukraine did, they got this probably from eBay as easy as it is

At the protest they did set up a large antenna which can be seen in videos and several photos

They used it to send out the text

There is no conspiracy, no cell company gave them customer info, they didn't hijack cell company sites

Cellphones automatically connect to strongest signal cell site. Its how "cells" work
Then they sent a generic text message which some companies use for amber alert.

Everyone within range whose phones saw their tower as strongest got the disperse message


Old old old technology, the defcon vid showing this is from like 5 years ago

reply to post by Snarl


I hate to be particular, but I am unaware of a narrowly defined geographic area being set by authority or law enforcement for the purpose of a cautionary public service announcement directed and limited within that area...yet still sent en masse ?

Far from being a mere debate point, I am curious for serious real world reasons, regarding past examples of this being done.

Following developments in crowd control and intimidation is a ...practical application concern, so to speak, at least for me personally, it is.

reply to post by Wrabbit2000

That the capability has been developed is enough. The example DEFCON demonstration mentioned in the post above yours would resemble a mere scratch on the surface of a sphere. Think geometrically (circles laid over circles), consider your communication device both sends and receives (and pattern transmission:lobes), the legal jurisdiction of the FCC over the frequency spectrum, and the military's patent oversight regarding communications and electronics.

Sorry for the brevity of my post. I'm not at a keyboard, but there's not a lot more for me to contribute other than these broadest of strokes. I'm not being intentionally cryptic.

reply to post by WhiteAlice

I seem to recall that law enforcement was using twitter to track protest activity in Occupy.

That was my understanding too, and I think that detail had only been confirmed after knowing it would have been helpful. I don't use twitter except in reading feeds. Never sending..so it didn't impact me, but imagine more than a few got screwed up from that and had no clue how at the moment it happened, eh?

For what it's worth to add, I'm getting the same things on Amber alerts right now. Just the last week or so too...so Missouri must just have integrated it this way, but I've had a couple now and neither were even on my end of the state. Not by a long shot. So I guess technology of what can be done and technology in the hands of those using it can be pretty different..or maybe they do mean to alert the whole state on a local thing? I dunno... It's hard to guess the thinking of authority right now.

This is just sad... And whats even more depressing about it is... Unless the world was ready to stand up at once and overthrow these forces that are activly at war with us.. Ive witnessed first hand what the government really thinks about its people.... I and several others i know have memories of experimentation at school... Things we dont remember until 8 or more years later.

Now with the food supply the air.. The levels of subversion that are being used against us are in the hundreds... What can we do about it without being rounded up and labled terrorists..

But too see things like this going on..

reply to post by Evergreens

The average layman was reared on a bottle filled with 'the kool-aid'. We're all lead to believe that without the guiding force, directed by the hidden hand, we will dissolve into the chaos of disorder.

The more aware people are of these sinister mechanisms of CONTROL ... the louder the cries for change.
Hence: Obamarama. Anyone else want another helping of 'hope and change'? That's what they want to reinforce in everyone's belief system, and both of the leading political parties are in on it.

I'd like to see the link to the proof this happened.

ONE transmitter cannot connect to Verizon and ATT phones at the same time: they use different technology, i.e. CDMA (Verizon) versus TDMA/GSM/UMTS (AT&T). They also might use different frequencies, making the use of one antenna and transmitter highly suspicious.

Phones do not "automatically" connect to the strongest signal unless they're authenticated by the network, which implies backhaul or other relay to the carrier(s) is needed.

Beyond that, triangulation of the cell phone location has been done since the inception of cell phones. As long as at least two 'sectorized' base station / transceivers can 'hear' a phone... three or more is better... the location of any phone the system can hear can be located within a few hundred feet, and with E911 systems, within 20 feet... and if GPS is enabled, within 10 feet in any direction including the vertical.


And I almost forgot to mention I build cell sites for a living.
... and after 15 years still no cancer.

Cito
Cellphone companies didn't do this and government didn't involve any cellphone company equipment or towers.

This was shown at DEFCON how to do this

A hacker bought $1200 worth of equipment on eBay

He placed an antenna on a pole 10 foot tall for the show.

He had everone pull out their cellphones

On the projector he typed in a message like "hello from defcon! You are pwned"

He pressed enter and then all of the sudden everyone's cells got text messaged. Verizon/ATT/Sprint/prepaid tracfone/gophone ,etc all displayed the text message

All he did was he placed a mini cell tower right there and everyone within range of that tower since their phones saw it as the strongest signal auto jumped to his rogue tower which then sent out the text message.

He explained these were built for FEMA, local towns and many large cities and allows them to take over by having a stronger signal they can get cellphones to jump onto their tower and send any messages they wish.

Many old school hams,have most the equipment to do this with already but you can buy it off eBay and make your own faux cell site and send texts

That is what Ukraine did, they got this probably from eBay as easy as it is

At the protest they did set up a large antenna which can be seen in videos and several photos

They used it to send out the text

There is no conspiracy, no cell company gave them customer info, they didn't hijack cell company sites

Cellphones automatically connect to strongest signal cell site. Its how "cells" work
Then they sent a generic text message which some companies use for amber alert.

Everyone within range whose phones saw their tower as strongest got the disperse message


Old old old technology, the defcon vid showing this is from like 5 years ago

reply to post by Bassago


Probably having nothing to fear and not wanting a crappy phone.

Yes, I know that means the NSA knows that occasionally my wife wants me to pick up groceries on my way home and which sports teams "suck" according to me and my buddies, by unless the NSA is dominated by Packers, Red Wings and White Sox fans, I really couldn't care less.

signalfire
How much tin foil do you have to wrap your phone in to prevent it from displaying its location?

Im not sure if you are making a joke about the tinfoil hat people(to prevent mind control), but your comment made me think of them!

reply to post by Mamatus


Nothing wrong with demonstrations till cities are shutdown and affect livelihood of people.

There are many ways of showing political dissent or difference of opinion. The best way is forming a group or a charity and persuade more people to join you. It has become much easier to form groups and grow them in the Internet age. The right way in democracy is to organize and fight elections if you want your viewpoint to prevail.

Demonstrations can easily turn into hooliganism as elements become tough to control. Not everybody goes to a demo with peaceful intent. It soon becomes a security nightmare.

Ukraine is not a rich country. People need to be able to feed themselves and lead normal lives before they need to change their government every other day.

reply to post by Frexmil2


Your phone can be tracked/located as long as it in ON/standby. Only removing battery from the phone will make it non-track-able.

There is no way that phone is working as well as non-track-able. A working phone communicates with adjacent towers and will be located roughly by its signal strength.

However if you are away from city, locating a phone is not so easy, as number of towers are fewer and sparse.

reply to post by Mamatus


There was a science fiction story in Asimov's where drones would fly over protesters and drop nano detectors on them for use by the police later. I thought at the time this type of technology sounded like it could be coming - I didn't expect something to show up this fast, though.

St0rD
reply to post by Mamatus

 

This.. is.. really.. disturbing.

Wait.

Does that mean that in the near future we will have to endure our fanatic girlfriends texting us every minutes AND the government telling us what to do and not to do, you know, like;

your speed is too high, a police is on the way to give you a ticket.
your last meal lacked proteins because you are vegetarian.
why didn't you watch the last advertising completely?
##SNIPPED##

Sigh, this world.

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