New Cellphone Surveillance Safeguards Imposed On Federal Law Enforcement

Earthquake Retrofit writes: The NPR website has an interesting story that the Justice Department says it will beef up legal requirements for using cell-site simulators. It includes a rare picture of the device and refers to them as dirt boxes. From the story: "Under the new policy, federal investigators will be required to get a warrant from a judge demonstrating probable cause, in most domestic criminal probes. Agents will need to explain to judges how the technology is being used. And they'll be directed to destroy volumes of bystanders' data 'no less than once daily.' 'This policy is really designed to ... try to promote transparency, consistency and accountability, all while being mindful of the public's privacy interest,' said Deputy U.S. Attorney General Sally Yates."

Comments

Frosty piss

[Anonymous Coward]

Is all law enforcement will give about these guidelines.

New window dressing gives the appearance of privac

[disposable60]

I bet this little dance does nothing but make it harder to prove your rights were ignored in pursuit of your conviction.

Like "self regulating" industries

[Bugler412]

Basically the justice department is reacting in much the same way as private corporations when threatened with a new stricter regulatory regime, they trot out symbolic but ineffective "self regulation" regimes that look good on the surface, but effectively change nothing. It's all a PR game to avoid real regulations that protects the constitutional rights of citizens.