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The IRS Has Stingray Devices (theguardian.com)
An anonymous reader writes: The Guardian reports that the use of stingray technology — devices that simulate cell towers in order to gather phone data — is not limited to intelligence agencies and law enforcement. It turns out the Internal Revenue Service owns some of the devices as well. It's unknown how or why the tax agency uses the stingray devices. The only reason The Guardian figured it out was that they happened to see an IRS invoice from when they paid a company to upgrade one of their devices and provide training on its use. It's thought they're being used when the IRS collaborates with other agencies to knock down money laundering operations. "... there are currently between 2,000 and 3,000 "special agents" in the IRS who form the criminal investigation division (CID). They have the ability to get PEN register orders – the only authority needed to use Stingray devices."
The IRS is not just about collecting taxes anymore. It's about hindering political movements that the current administration doesn't like. The IRS chief in charge of the persecution of Tea Party groups, more or less, flipped the bird at Congress, and walked off with a juicy pension. Not that I like Tea Party groups, but I'm just wondering where Hilary will strike next.
Schroedinger's Brexit: The UK is both in and out of the EU at the same time!
One historical reason is that a lot of the other agencies were created during the period between 1924 and 1972, the 48 years when J. Edgar Hoover was head of the FBI, and nobody really wanted to give him more power if they could help it.
10 PRINT CHR$(205.5+RND(1)); : GOTO 10
are stingrays illegal to purchase?
The Harris Corporation branded Stingray IMSI catcher is restricted for sale to law enforcement agencies.
are they difficult to build?
Quite easy. There are also some other brands on the market available for sale to anyone.
Have gnu, will travel.
The investigation into the IRS found nothing wrong. Not sure what shenanigans you are commenting about. Its commonly known that the IRS is allowed to censor political groups, hand over confidential IRS filing forms to other political groups, ask questions that are illegal for them to ask of political groups, campaign for politicians while on "the clock" and so on. All of this is perfectly acceptable as long as it hurts the GOP and helps the DNC.
On the other hand, if a GOP president talks about having the IRS audit someone he will face articles of impeachment.
So I'm not sure what you are talking about over the last few years, they only go after individual citizens that are vocal against the current administration, all perfectly legal after the DOJ investigation.
BULLSHIT
Over the two years between April 2010 and April 2012, the IRS essentially placed on hold the processing of applications for 501(c)(4) tax-exemption status received from organizations with "Tea Party", "patriots", or "9/12" in their names. While apparently none of these organizations' applications were denied during this period,[Note 2] only 4 were approved.[54] During the same general period, the agency approved applications from several dozen presumably liberal-leaning organizations whose names included terms such as "progressive", "progress", "liberal", or "equality".
liberal and conservative groups were in fact treated differently because liberal groups could be approved for tax-exempt status by line agents, while tea party groups could not.
At least as early as mid-2011, higher-ranking IRS officials knew that conservative groups were being scrutinized.
The Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration found that inappropriate criteria had been used by IRS personnel to select certain applications for tax exemption status for further review and that inappropriate procedures were applied against organizations based on their names or policy positions.
The IRS used inappropriate criteria that identified for review Tea Party and other organizations applying for tax-exempt status based upon their names or policy positions instead of indications of potential political campaign intervention. Ineffective management: 1) allowed inappropriate criteria to be developed and stay in place for more than 18 months, 2) resulted in substantial delays in processing certain applications, and 3) allowed unnecessary information requests to be issued. Although the processing of some applications with potential significant political campaign intervention was started soon after receipt, no work was completed on the majority of these applications for 13 months.... For the 296 total political campaign intervention applications [reviewed in the audit] as of December 17, 2012, 108 had been approved, 28 were withdrawn by the applicant, none had been denied, and 160 were open from 206 to 1,138 calendar days (some for more than three years and crossing two election cycles).... Many organizations received requests for additional information from the IRS that included unnecessary, burdensome questions (e.g., lists of past and future donors).
Every single one of those claims is clearly supported.
You're a fucking moron.
Harris (the maker of Stingrays) will not sell them to "civilians" Additionally there is Federal law (Electronic Communications Privacy Act) that forbids an un-authorized person from listening on cellular phone calls. There is a "sort of" hack: Info on this youtube video from DEFCON 18: https://www.youtube.com/watch?...