Inside the U.S. Government-Bought Tool That Can Track Phones at Abortion Clinics

[Nevilledog]

https://www.404media.co/inside-the-u-s-government-bought-tool-that-can-track-phones-at-abortion-clinics/


On a computer screen a map shows the movements of smartphones around the globe. Zooming into an abortion clinic in the south of the United States, the online tool shows more than 700 red dots over the clinic itself, each representing a phone, and by extension, a person.

The tool, called Locate X and made by a company called Babel Street, then narrows down to the movements of a specific device which had visited the clinic. This phone started at a residence in Alabama in mid-June. It then went by a Lowe’s Home Improvement store, traveled along a highway, went past a gas station, visited a church, crossed over into Florida, and then stopped at the abortion clinic for approximately two hours. They had only been to the clinic once, according to the data.

The device then headed back, and crossed back over into Alabama. The tool also showed their potential home, based on the high frequency at which the device stopped there. The tool clearly shows this home address on its map interface.

In other words, someone had traveled from Alabama, where abortion is illegal after the June 2022 overturning of Roe v. Wade, to an abortion clinic in Florida, where abortion is limited but still available early in a pregnancy. Based on the data alone, it is unclear who exactly this person is or what they were doing, whether they were receiving an abortion themselves, assisting someone seeking one, or going to the clinic for another reason. But it would be trivial for U.S. authorities, some of which already have access to this tool, to go one step further and unmask this or other abortion clinic visitors.

*snip*

[intrepidity]

1. ...another good reason to turn off "location" on your phone

Although, who knows how "leaky" our phones are anyway?

[Bayard]

2. "And all of this tracking is possible without a warrant."

Scary as hell, even though this particular scenario was a demo. I can see where this technology would be misused like crazy if trump ever got back in power.

[ratchiweenie]

3. Some tech person needs to quickly create and app that will bloch this nightmare.

[CrispyQ]

4. Privacy is dead. We traded it for convenience.

They don't need to put tracking chips inside our bodies. We'll happily carry the chips with us if they provide us with convenience & entertainment. I'm as guilty as anyone. I sent a new phone back the other day cuz it doesn't play my favorite game right. And I hate my current phone. Hate it. But it plays my game right.

[RJ_MacReady]

5. This is why

Should the worst case happen blue states must outright refuse to cooperate with any investigation period and in some cases offer the woman asylum. Also any court orders to extradite should be ignored as well. Yes this is where we are.

[HoosierDebbie]

6. This invites the creation of a counter program.

How about a device that could scramble tracking. Locations that want to provide anonymity would be able to block tracking with such a device. I expect this would appeal to many businesses whose customers prefer to be private.

[moondust]

7. Need for ECMs.

Widespread, targeted, whatever.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radio_jamming

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radar_jamming_and_deception