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Seattle PD Mum On Tracking By Its New Wi-Fi Mesh Network
An anonymous reader writes "The Stranger reports that Seattle's police department has installed a Wi-Fi mesh network paid for by the Department of Homeland Security. FTA: 'The SPD declined to answer more than a dozen questions from The Stranger, including whether the network is operational, who has access to its data, what it might be used for, and whether the SPD has used it (or intends to use it) to geo-locate people's devices via their MAC addresses or other identifiers.'"
geo-locate people's devices via their MAC addresses
If you use public wireless at all, changing your MAC is just wise, for privacy reasons.
# ifconfig eth0 hw ether
This just looks likely to be an out of the box Aruba Airwave (tracking) install on an Aruba MSR4000 mesh network. So just turn your wifi off when your not using it?
Those who can, do. Those who cannot, sue.
So you know you are safer than ever before !!
Stasi Police Dragnet.
Coming soon to a fully-integrated nationwide real time tracking, private records collection, and surveillance system near you.
To fight drug abuse, arrest paedophiles, stop terrorists, and...right?
Scruting the inscrutable for over 50 years.
How long before we see something like this:
Cops show up at "suspects" work or home
Cops: "Sir, your MAC address was at the scene of the crime/terrorist attack yesterday. How do you explain that."
Suspect: "I have no idea."
Cops: "Sir, you need to come with us."
Neighbors or work associates: "WTF?! We were right next to the guy and he's a TERRORIST!"
And in the meantime, the criminals will just leave their electronic devices at home. - at least the smart ones. The terrorists will have none.
Badge + gun == grunt.
All this sophisticated tracking technology will only further destroy our freedoms.
a mac address doesn't mean a fucking thing.. they are even less of an absolute identifier than an ip address, or the brand and color of one's jeans. they are easily changed, and by normal people, not just 'techies' (yes, there's an app for that... many apps)
Just because Seattle PD doesn't want to waste any more time responding to an obscure blogger does not indicate a nefarious conspiracy. But, the implication of a nefarious conspiracy does have a remarkably good effect on click counts. Doesn't it, Slashdot?
Here's the lowdown. WiFi, being unlicensed spectrum, can be used by anyone(even Seattle PD) to "track" WiFi clients. If it really bothers you, turn off WiFi(don't forget BueTooth). You can also turn the tables on your boogeymen by spoofing a MAC address or go all out and write an app that automatically rotates random MACs at random intervals(this is actually an appealing idea). Then you can walk around Seattle with your WiFi on and without fear of tracking. Though, the smug grin on your neck bearded face is a dead giveaway for the automatic facial recognition cameras that are everywhere, so you should probably shave and wear a disguise.
...what some policeman's mother has to say?
Free internet!
Since WiFi is Part 15 and has to accept interference.. what about a sophisticated jammer?
And in the meantime, the criminals will just leave their electronic devices at home. - at least the smart ones. The terrorists will have none.
No, they will spoof honest citizens mac addresses.
---- Booth was a patriot ----
So, we just need a applet that every so often will generate a random new mac address for your device. Sure, if its in the middle of the day you lose connection for a moment, but is that really that big of a deal on a phone/tablet?
Of course i have been saying for years that eventually you will have to register your mac address(es) of all your devices at time of purchase and it will become a crime to spoof. Along with being handed out your assigned block of ipv6, again for tracking reasons.
---- Booth was a patriot ----
I can see a time coming, not so far from now, where all this is used as a quasi-radar system to track people, feeding into the machine that already tracks by face and license plate recognition.
Perhaps now is the time for constitutional amendment. Let's outlaw mind-reading machines, which are on the horizon, while we're at it. As in supra-4th Amendment, "Neither Congress nor any State shall (something flowery about invading a mind's operation to determine thoughts.)"
(-1: Post disagrees with my already-settled worldview) is not a valid mod option.
A question to the more techy crowd: Isn't turning off continuous Wi-Fi scanning a measure to decrease the geolocation data "they" can have on you?
Time to invest in low priced signal jammers, hmm wonder if there would be a good return on a kick-starter project for them.
()-()
If this new technology stops nefarious activities and dastardly villains, I'm all for it.
Did you know that placing a member of law enforcement or the military in every home - including yours - will stop nefarious activities and dastardly villains too. The same could be said for placing cameras with feeds to law enforcement or the military. Still all for it?
I seem to be missing a point here, why sould the PD care about identifying devices by MAC Address if they alredy have the capability (and have had this capability for decades) to trace the same device by it's phone number and just make your tipical Verizon collaborte with them. I mean, this is how you recieve phone calls, it wouldn't even work without this capability. So what do they plan to do with it?
Jee, we can't let Google store this kind of information, good thing the police can do what they want with out a warrent!
You have 5 Moderator Points!
Which Helpless Linux zealot/MS basher do you want to mod down today?
One way to protect ourselves from this sort of thing (at least for a while) is to stop using many convenient technologies. The more stories about government surveillance I read, the less technology I use. So far it is little things like leaving my cell phone turned off most of the time, using cash instead of debit cards, not shopping online, etc. Most importantly I now think about leaving a digital footprint and privacy any time I use technology. The NSA does not have god-like powers and I will not give up trying to enforce my privacy. As side benefit there is less of a digital footprint for marketing companies and criminals to use against me.
I really shouldn't have used someone else's email address for this account.
But now they're thinking about it. Thanks a lot, The Stranger.
If opportunity came disguised as temptation, one knock would be enough.
3^2 * 67^1 * 977^1
I only turn on and connect to known sources. don't wander around with my WiFi turned on. Use an app that knows my location and turns it on when I get to the house, work, family, turns it off outside of those areas.
"Only on Slashdot" -- it's like the inverse of No True Scotsman.
Only on Slashdot will you have some dumbass freaking out about a Google -- frothing spittle all over their keyboard when the story has nothing to do with Google.
The saddest part? The beginning of your comment was informative. But then you regurgitated your own imaginary persecution.
This is the same police department that wanted to use drones. What the hell for? I bet they would decline to answer that as well.
I would imagine there are quite a few of these ap's with default passwords=)
Has it not dawned on you that anything you say or do online, on the phone (wireless or wired), is being monitored by the government and their billionaire/corporate overseers? Sure, all these new ways to communicate are way cool, but, they come at a price........privacy! If you don't want to be tracked, use only cash for all purchases and never give your name. If you want to communicate anything sensitive to anyone, do it the way we used to......in private, face to face. Sure, you say, it should all be private, but, the corporations and the government have other ideas. There is no way that encryption, proxy servers, etc., etc. will ever make you safe from surveillance. I know, you think that lawsuits or protests will "make you free", but, in the new Dollarocracy, those in power will just laugh at you behind your back.
My karma is bad. Don't get too close!!!
Some stupid geek gave me bad karma. I can only hope the feds are on their way to your place to arrest you for doing or saying something online which they saw as a threat. When they hit you with the tazer and haul your ass of to jail, remember my warning!
My karma is bad. Don't get too close!!!