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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. Useless against crime by dada21 · · Score: 5, Insightful

    In the last year or so, cell phone tracking of criminals has lost its value more and more.

    As more cell phone evidence has been submitted in court, the more loopholes have opened up.

    One of my importer/exporter customers already pulls his battery when hitting the road. Before dumping the battery back in, he picks a random sim card. I set every sim card to ring the same voice mail on "Missed Calls" so he can easily find out what he missed.

    No black market businessman is stupid anymore. Hell, there are entire newsletters now offering advice on how to avoid mistakes that might get you in trouble.

  2. Re:Things that... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Informative
    I certainly went "HMM", but not at the ruling. I went "HMM" at the submitter who didn't read the fracking article.

    The FBI may not track the locations of cell phone users without showing evidence that a crime occurred or is in progress, two federal judges ruled, saying that to do so would violate long-established privacy protections.


    Showing evidence is not proving a crime.