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New Limits to FBI Tracking of Cell Phone Users

Posted by CowboyNeal on from the big-brother-is-listening dept.

EvilTwinSkippy writes "According to the Washington Post (free registration), Two Federal Courts have seperately ruled that the FBI may not track the location of cell phone users without proof that a crime has been committed, or is in progress. The cases involve the FBI seeking court orders to track suspects in real-time using the mobile phone network as part of an ongoing investigation."

2 of 118 comments (clear)

  1. Just turn it OFF by tomhudson · · Score: 4, Interesting
    or if you're REALLY paranoid, do one or more of these:

    1. remove battery
    2. wrap in tin foil
    3. "forget it" in neighbours' car

    So if you want to commit a crime and have an alibi, AND frame someone else:

    1. leave your phone turned on at home but with the ringer off
    2. get another phone, clone the sim card of the person you want to frame
    3. just before its time to do the crime, borrow their phone to make a quick call, then TURN IT OFF!
    4. go to the location where you
      1. insert battery into cloned phone
      2. do the nasty deed
      3. make a call to your real cell phone, leave 20 sec of dead air.
      4. remove battery from cloned phone
    5. return home
    "You" have never left home. "They" were at the scene of the crime. If their phone has roaming, and it was out of their primary area, their cell bill will "prove" they were there with the call to your phone. You==alibi, them==fucked.
  2. Re:Oh nothing officer, just some innocent skulking by dada21 · · Score: 4, Interesting

    As a business owner, even if you have no criminal intent, you have way more reason to hide your tracks.

    There are so many conflicting or vague laws on the books. Now that years of your past can be discovered with a click, and jury nullification practically illegal, any future mistake might be wrangled into a harsher penalty through digging by our crazed public prosecutors.

    I've seen many innocent and honest people go to jail over an accountant's error. I've seen bail withheld in a tariff case because the distributor bought locally-made products containing 'tainted' products, and the feds dug up evidence of past sales online that MIGHT have been illegal.

    RICO, PATRIOT, Magic Lantern, EPIC and other legal tools are used hundreds of times more against non-criminals. If you're seeing slow business or are broke, dump F/OSS and help people express their fourth amendment rights. You'll never go hungry again.