Stingrays - government spying on our cell phones

[Caolela]

U.S. Marshals spent over $10 million on secretive technologies to spy on our cell phones.

These invasive devices are called “Stingrays,” and trick your cell phones into giving away your most sensitive information – without your consent. They can listen to your calls and suck up every single piece of sensitive, personal information in your cell phone.

Stingrays can’t be targeted at just one person — instead they sweep up data from entire neighborhoods. They’re being used to eavesdrop on innocent Americans, and can capture the sensitive data of up to 10,000 people at a time. You don’t have to do anything wrong to be a victim. And if you have been spied on, you won’t even know.

What’s worse: Law enforcement is keeping the use of this irresponsible tool under a veil of secrecy. The FBI has even admitted to letting criminals go free just to avoid confirming they used a Stingray to get the data.

But the use of Stingrays by police forces across the country is slowly being revealed. The NYPD recently admitted it has used Stingrays over 1000 times, and we know they’re also being used across the country.



- What is a Stingray and why should I care?

- US Marshals spent $10m on equipment for warrantless Stingray surveillance.

- The Secret Surveillance Catalogue.

- FBI would rather prosecutors drop cases than disclose stingray details.

- NYPD has used Stingrays more than 1,000 times since 2008.

- Map – Stingray tracking devices: Who's got them?


I think it's time we speak up for our digital privacy. And please, don't give me the "terrorism" excuse - this has everything to do with Stasi/Gestapo-like, police state espionage tactics.

[Hooked]

Don't talk about anything over the phone that could get you in trouble, its much easier to stay out of trouble that way.

[Caolela]

That isn't how the law works. Any moron knows that this is illegal, unconstitutional.

I already know you don't have a single useful thing to add but to derail, so take a hike.

[Mister Cheese]

Don't talk about anything over the phone that could get you in trouble, its much easier to stay out of trouble that way.

Yes because thought policing people is a good thing right? A casual conversation about something illegal is not grounds to throw someone in jail sorry.

[breadisfunny]

this is old news relatively speaking.

[Caolela]

this is old news relatively speaking.

Only in the context of the Snowden revelations of a couple years ago.

Now it's not only the Feds (FBI, NSA) but the local and state cops doing it - right outside our doors driving up the street. And it's not just online/internet spying, it's our phones and all the personal data on them.

[Captainn]

Don't do anything illegal and you have nothing to worry about. I've never seen a problem with any kind of surveillance.

[Caolela]

This is not 'informed consent' by those who are governed. This is manufactured consent. That's not democracy or a constitutional republic.

Let me ask you this:

Do the following - take the keys to your car, your house, all of your passwords, every single account, your medical records, your bank statements. Take all of those including all of your valuables, all of the info of your contacts and the people you know...go to the other side of town, give it to a perfect stranger and let them "keep it for you".

Are you going to do it?

No? But you trust your fellow citizen, don't you? If not, the real question is: why not? Then why would you let the government do that?

[Fugus]

Don't do anything illegal and you have nothing to worry about. I've never seen a problem with any kind of surveillance.

Then evidently you haven't been paying enough attention to our nation or world history as a whole.

[Kaleredar]

This is not 'informed consent' by those who are governed. This is manufactured consent. That's not democracy or a constitutional republic.

Let me ask you this:

Do the following - take the keys to your car, your house, all of your passwords, every single account, your medical records, your bank statements. Take all of those including all of your valuables, all of the info of your contacts and the people you know...go to the other side of town, give it to a perfect stranger and let them "keep it for you".

Are you going to do it?

No? But you trust your fellow citizen, don't you? If not, the real question is: why not? Then why would you let the government do that?

Generally the government has more oversight than "some bum on the other side of town." What, is the director of the CIA going to use your personal info to play on your WoW account after acquiring your battle.net password from your phone, or some such?

This seems like a really weird zero-sum issue. Your article even admits that the FBI can't indict someone for anything they collect from it because it's not considered a legitimate means of acquiring evidence.

You're also completely mum as to what kind of "evidence" these things obtain, seeing as you also say they can't even specifically target someone with them.

I mean, warrantless surveillance is dirty and underhanded, but... this seems almost entirely pointless. I'd be more incensed about the colossal waste of money this is.

[Caolela]

That's just the point - the gov't isn't telling what they're scooping up, so it must be assumed everything and anything they want, whenever they want, since it is a mass, sweeping surveillance of thousands of people, not a specific search WITH A WARRANT. It is 100% illegal and unconstitutional.

It's a helluva lot more important than the silly example of a game account. And, please tell me how good our "gov't oversight" has been doing these past dozen plus years when no one has gone to jail or faced charges for all of this unconstitutional, illegal spying; warrantless wiretapping and searches; rendition; torture; no Habeas Corpus; and all the rest.

[Kaleredar]

That's just the point - the gov't isn't telling what they're scooping up, so it must be assumed everything and anything they want, whenever they want, since it is a mass, sweeping surveillance of thousands of people, not a specific search WITH A WARRANT. It is 100% illegal and unconstitutional.

It's a helluva lot more important than the silly example of a game account. And, please tell me how good our "gov't oversight" has been doing these past dozen plus years when no one has gone to jail or faced charges for all of this unconstitutional, illegal spying, warrantless wiretapping and searches, rendition, torture, no Habeas Corpus, and all the rest.

Has anyone ever gone to jail on account of these things? Or had their bank accounts stolen by Jim at the DMV or been interred in a gulag or something?

[Caolela]

Has anyone ever gone to jail on account of these things? Or had their bank accounts stolen by Jim at the DMV or been interred in a gulag or something?

Well guess what - we wouldn't know, would we? Not when you have secret detainments, illegal renditions, torture, no Habeas Corpus, and no accountability since Bush and 9/11. And yes, places like Gitmo are U.S. gulags, as well as many locations of U.S. allies around the world . And it wouldn't be "Jim at the DMV", it would be the large and secret military/security complex like the NSA, FBI, CIA, DIA and now it's the local and state cops.

You might know all of this already unless you've been living under a rock for the past decade.

[Tradewind]

It decrypts calls. None of this other shit. It's the GSM version of a wiretap.

Or lose your mind. Whatever you prefer.

[Mistame]

Why am I not surprised that within the first page we had, "Don't do anything illegal" garbage. It doesn't matter if you're following the law if the government isn't. This type of "surveillance" is neither the role nor right of any government and individual privacy should never be at the discretion of a governing body.

[Kasterix]

Or lose your mind. Whatever you prefer.

But their comin' to take our freedomz!

While I don't agree surveillance of this nature is in any way right, part of me starts to think it's good they're listening for all the shady fuckers up to no good.

That lasts for a second or so and then I consider that the ones stupid enough to do shady shit in manners that can be easily tracked/recorded probably aren't the ones you really need to worry about anyway.

[Hooked]

Why am I not surprised that within the first page we had, "Don't do anything illegal" garbage. It doesn't matter if you're following the law if the government isn't. This type of "surveillance" is neither the role nor right of any government and individual privacy should never be at the discretion of a governing body.

That's the way it is now, deal with it. Wait until they start analyzing everyones internet history. For the record someone was using my computer without me knowing it, damn kids.

[Deleted]

Fine by me.

I value safety over my "digital privacy".

[Independent voter]

You can buy one of these things, everyone can buy one.

They are cell phone relays. Say you live on a ranch and you're too far away to get cell coverage. You can buy off Amazon a relay, you set it up and it will relay your cell calls to the cell tower, now you can use your cell on your ranch.

Okay the things with these relays is they pick up everyone's cell phones, not just yours. If you drop one of these relays in the city for example, your neighbors cell calls will use your relay. With some tinkering you can listen in.

What these 'stingrays' are are cell relays, that have already been tinkered with.

[Deleted]

Don't talk about anything over the phone that could get you in trouble, its much easier to stay out of trouble that way.

War is peace.

Freedom is slavery.

Ignorance is strength.

Four legs good, two legs better.