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Legal Battles Over Cellphone Tracking

Posted by Zonk on from the they-know-if-you're-awake-citizen dept.

stupefaction writes "The New York Times reports on recent successful court challenges to police use of cellphone tracking information in the course of an investigation. From the article: 'In the last four months, three federal judges have denied prosecutors the right to get cellphone tracking information from wireless companies without first showing "probable cause" to believe that a crime has been or is being committed. That is the same standard applied to requests for search warrants. [...] Cellular operators like Verizon Wireless and Cingular Wireless know, within about 300 yards, the location of their subscribers whenever a phone is turned on.'"

4 of 141 comments (clear)

  1. As a rule of thumb... by Chris+Bradshaw · · Score: 5, Informative
    Below is a link to more info on which phones allow you to turn these features off, etc...

    http://www.spywareinfo.com/articles/cell_phones/

    As a general rule, I always turn off the location settings on my phone. Sprint has had this feature enabled by default for the past 3 years, and it wasn't until recently that I learned I was broadcasting my whereabouts 24x7.

    --
    Get your Windows Malicious Software Removal Tool Here for FREE! - http://fedora.redhat.com
  2. We Need to Expand the Patriot Act, Then by Prototerm · · Score: 5, Funny

    We can't have people's civil rights get in the way of law enforcement. We need to change the law to keep the courts out of this. The courts have no right getting involved in these matters.

    *That'll* fix those Satanic, Evolution-loving, Commie Terrorists!

    (/tongue in cheek)

    There, I believe I've insulted enough Conservatives for one day. I'll go now.

    --
    "My country, right or wrong; if right, to be kept right; and if wrong, to be set right." --Senator Carl Schurz (1872)
  3. What's being tracked... by reddish · · Score: 5, Insightful

    'Cellular operators like Verizon Wireless and Cingular Wireless know, within about 300 yards, the location of their subscribers whenever a phone is turned on.'

    They may be able to track the location of the telephone, or the SIM card,/b> but not the subscriber.

    A different thing alltogether - if you think about it. This cannot be used to locate a suspect on a crime scene, only her phone.

  4. Not too ambiguous by unknownideal · · Score: 5, Insightful

    "If I'm on an investigation and I need to know where somebody is located who might be committing a crime . . ."

    I don't see what everyone's worried about. They just want to track anyone who might be commiting a crime.