Civilian security is alive and well, thanks to local terrorism investigations required by the Patriot Act. According to L.A. Weekly, the latest threat to an individual's privacy and liberty is a real-time mobile phone spy machine called StingRay. While intended for intercepting terrorist transmissions, reports indicate that the Los Angeles Police Department used StingRay 21 times in a four-month period of 2012 for routine investigations, where non-suspects' private devices were revealed, unknowingly to the court system. Call it collateral damage, as the non-suspects lived near persons the LAPD thought were terrorists. Better yet, call it collateral erosion of the individual rights of complacent citizens.
Phone conversations reviewed
StingRay technology has been used since 2006 by the LAPD. LAPD officials have not made any comment about whether or not it has the legal right to use the technology in inappropriate ways, but it has been using it in many cases, such as murder, drug and burglary investigations. The LAPD was only supposed to use StingRay cell phone technology for terrorism investigations, but definitely it did not just do that. Between June and September of last year, there were 155 StingRay cellular phone investigation cases, and 13 percent of them listened in on calls for non-suspects.
One person who doesn't believe the LAPD has the right to use StingRay in this fashion is Peter Scheer, executive director of the First Amendment Coalition. Scheer notes that LAPD procedure manuals are unclear as to whether such use of StingRay is legal without a warrant or judicial permission. According to those familiar with the technology, avoiding collateral cellular data interception from non-suspects when they are in close proximity to suspects is practically extremely hard.
No court order required
With StingRay, authorities can keep monitors with them in complete secret as opposed to the past when regulators had to get a court order before using them. StingRay is bothersome to civil rights activists for this very reason.
Privacy laws should be considered
Privacy laws need to be addressed since StingRay might be hurting a ton of privacy rights for customers. Many attorneys agree with American Civil Liberties Union lawyer Linda Lye who believes that the law needs to look at StingRay and create brand new legislation so privacy violations will be avoided.
Phone conversations reviewed
StingRay technology has been used since 2006 by the LAPD. LAPD officials have not made any comment about whether or not it has the legal right to use the technology in inappropriate ways, but it has been using it in many cases, such as murder, drug and burglary investigations. The LAPD was only supposed to use StingRay cell phone technology for terrorism investigations, but definitely it did not just do that. Between June and September of last year, there were 155 StingRay cellular phone investigation cases, and 13 percent of them listened in on calls for non-suspects.
One person who doesn't believe the LAPD has the right to use StingRay in this fashion is Peter Scheer, executive director of the First Amendment Coalition. Scheer notes that LAPD procedure manuals are unclear as to whether such use of StingRay is legal without a warrant or judicial permission. According to those familiar with the technology, avoiding collateral cellular data interception from non-suspects when they are in close proximity to suspects is practically extremely hard.
No court order required
With StingRay, authorities can keep monitors with them in complete secret as opposed to the past when regulators had to get a court order before using them. StingRay is bothersome to civil rights activists for this very reason.
Privacy laws should be considered
Privacy laws need to be addressed since StingRay might be hurting a ton of privacy rights for customers. Many attorneys agree with American Civil Liberties Union lawyer Linda Lye who believes that the law needs to look at StingRay and create brand new legislation so privacy violations will be avoided.
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