How Cops Can Secretly Track Your Phone

[Nevilledog]

Last edited Fri Jul 31, 2020, 01:15 PM - Edit history (1)

A guide to stingray surveillance technology, which may have been deployed at recent protests.

https://theintercept.com/2020/07/31/protests-surveillance-stingrays-dirtboxes-phone-tracking/


SINCE MAY, AS protesters around the country have marched against police brutality and in support of the Black Lives Matter movement, activists have spotted a recurring presence in the skies: mysterious planes and helicopters hovering overhead, apparently conducting surveillance on protesters. A press release from the Justice Department at the end of May revealed that the Drug Enforcement Agency and U.S. Marshals Service were asked by the Justice Department to provide unspecified support to law enforcement during protests. A few days later, a memo obtained by BuzzFeed News offered a little more insight on the matter; it revealed that shortly after protests began in various cities, the DEA had sought special authority from the Justice Department to covertly spy on Black Lives Matter protesters on behalf of law enforcement.

Although the press release and memo didn’t say what form the support and surveillance would take, it’s likely that the two agencies were being asked to assist police for a particular reason. Both the DEA and the Marshals possess airplanes outfitted with so-called stingrays or dirtboxes: powerful technologies capable of tracking mobile phones or, depending on how they’re configured, collecting data and communications from mobile phones in bulk.

Stingrays have been used on the ground and in the air by law enforcement for years but are highly controversial because they don’t just collect data from targeted phones; they collect data from any phone in the vicinity of a device. That data can be used to identify people — protesters, for example — and track their movements during and after demonstrations, as well as to identify others who associate with them. They also can inject spying software onto specific phones or direct the browser of a phone to a website where malware can be loaded onto it, though it’s not clear if any U.S. law enforcement agencies have used them for this purpose.

Although law enforcement has been using the technologies since the 1990s, the general public learned about them only in the last decade, and much about their capabilities remains unknown because law enforcement agencies and the companies that make the devices have gone to great lengths to keep details secret. Stingrays are routinely used to target suspects in drug and other criminal investigations, but activists also believe the devices were used during protests against the Dakota Access pipeline, and against Black Lives Matter protesters over the last three months. The Justice Department requires federal agents to obtain a probable cause warrant to use the technology in criminal cases, but there is a carve-out for national security. Given that President Donald Trump has referred to protesters as “terrorists,” and that paramilitary-style officers from the Department of Homeland Security have been deployed to the streets of Portland, Oregon, it’s conceivable that surveillance conducted at recent demonstrations has been deemed a national security matter — raising the possibility that the government may have used stingray technology to collect data on protesters without warrants.

[mr_lebowski]

1. Well I suppose making this known would be a handy way to get people to stop bringing those pesky

phones with their cameras on them ... to protests.

This article seems pretty darn speculative ... not that I'm not suspicious they are right, but I think we need a bit more evidence.

[katmondoo]

2. I do not have a smart phone and will never get one. For lots of reasons I hate them.

[frazzled]

3. Turn off Location Services

if you are participating in a protest. Am I right?

[stopdiggin]

12. that probably isn't going to (even half) cut it

according to the info above. Even airplane mode might not shield you entirely.
I've found in talking to people that about 95% of them are completely unfazed and unconcerned about this. I think that's pretty unwise, but ...

The article at this link (CNET), gives some pretty good advice:

https://www.cnet.com/news/how-to-maintain-your-digital-privacy-at-protests/

[stopdiggin]

4. I didn't know they could upload malicious code

Shouldn't be too surprised. Just didn't know this was happening.

I'd say this is a pretty important story. Where's Snowden?

[gopiscrap]

5. sounds to me like if you go to a protest

you might want to get a 15-25 dollars burner phone from Bartells or Walgreens

[hlthe2b]

6. 484 error code on your link...

[MineralMan]

7. Your link to the Awful Intercept is broken.

So is that website. It is irreparable.

However, to help other DUers, here is a working link:

https://theintercept.com/2020/07/31/protests-surveillance-stingrays-dirtboxes-phone-tracking/

[Nevilledog]

8. Fixed it. Thx.

[MineralMan]

10. Always use DU's preview feature before posting links.

That's my rule for myself.

[Nevilledog]

11. I do. Not sure how I screwed it up. Need more coffee I guess.

[MineralMan]

9. "may have been deployed" Typical sloppy reporting from the Intercept.

What a lousy excuse for a news website that is!

[SWBTATTReg]

13. I suspect that another helpful tip is to take the battery out of the cell phone, if you can (...

and if you can handle the temporary loss of a working cell phone). Can't track cell phones if no power. Ridiculous and ranks of '1984' doesn't it, especially when the POS in the WH is ushering it in (tracking cell phones etc., treating many Americans like drug lords, etc., and w/ no warrants either, which the feds claim they can get around the warrant situation by grabbing all traffic off of local cell phone towers in the area (no specific numbers are targeted so they grab everything). It's all so blurry and not entirely legal I suspect.

[Skittles]

14. or ust put it in Airplane Mode

yup

[SWBTATTReg]

15. airplane mode was already mentioned but yes.