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Is That Cell Phone Tower Watching Me?

Posted by timothy on from the correct-word-is-perceptive dept.

An anonymous reader writes "Cell phone networks, FM radio towers and television antennaes could all turn into pieces of cheap and dirty tracking networks that use passive radar, according to this fairly comprehensive article. These new systems are only a couple years away from roll out for uses such as small airport radar coverage but wild possibilities abound including using cell phone networks to track speeders, terrorists or even individuals walking on city streets."

3 of 314 comments (clear)

  1. Cellphones to track speeders? by TheMidget · · Score: 5, Funny
    So now you can get two tickets for the same offense:
    • The first for speeding
    • The second for leaving your cellphone on while driving (and no, hands-free sets don't count: even if they keep your hands free, they don't keep your brain free)
  2. Terrorists my ass by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    When are people going to stop tossing the obligatory terrorist reference into these articles? Like that makes it ok?

    Percent of civilians tracked by stupid new technology: 100%
    Percent of "terrorists" tracked by stupid new technology: 0%

    What's the percentage of civilians likely to turn into terrorists because of stupid new technologies?

    1. Re:Terrorists my ass by kfg · · Score: 5, Insightful

      You are mistaking the point of most of the new "anti-terrorist" laws and technologies.

      They have nothing to do with anti-terrorism, and never have.

      They are for catching the guy who grows a few weed plants in his basement to suppy his friends and send him up for 20 years instead of the 3 months they could previously nail him for.

      Ashcroft is actually now teaching local law enforcement how to misapply anti-terror legislation to petty crime.

      And he's pulicly proud of the fact.

      None of these initiatives are ever likely to catch a terrorist and they know it. They've always known it. The terrorists will simply work around them and start passing encrypted coded messages on flash paper "post-its", or take out coded classified ads in the papers or call "home" and ask, "You want me to stop for some chicken on my way home from work?"

      No, anti-terrorism was, is and always shall be nothing more than an end run around the Bill of Rights for perfectly normal crime.

      KFG