Civilian security is alive and well, because of regional terrorism inspections required by the Patriot Act. According to L.A. Weekly, the latest risk to an individual's privacy and liberty is a real-time mobile phone spy system called StingRay. While intended for intercepting terrorist transmissions, reports suggest that the LA Police Department used StingRay 21 times in a four-month period of 2012 for routine inspections, where non-suspects' private communications were revealed, unknowingly to the court system. Call it collateral damage, as the non-suspects lived near individuals the LAPD thought were terrorists. Better yet, call it collateral erosion of the individual privileges of complacent citizens.
Listening in on calls
StingRay technology has been used since 2006 by the LAPD. LAPD officials have not made any comment about whether or not it has the legal right to use the technology in inappropriate ways, but it has been using it in many cases, such as murder, narcotic and burglary inspections. The LAPD was only supposed to use StingRay cell phone technology for terrorism inspections, but obviously it did not just do that. Between June and Sept of last year, there were 155 StingRay cellular phone investigation cases, and 13 percent of them listened in on calls for non-suspects.
The First Amendment Coalition executive director Peter Scheer does not think the LAPD should be able to use this sort of technology. It is pretty much impossible to keep away from intercepting other people with the StingRay technology, according to those who use the technology, but the LAPD manuals do not even make it clear whether or not this is illegal.
Authorities getting around regulations
Civic privileges activists do not like the StingRay technology because it used to be that authorities had to get permission before they could use technology such as it. Now, regulators can carry around the StingRay technology and use it in secret if they want to.
Privacy laws should be considered
Privacy laws have to be addressed since StingRay might be hurting a ton of privacy privileges for consumers. Many attorneys agree with ACLU attorney Linda Lye who believes that the law needs to look at StingRay and create brand new legislation so privacy violations will be avoided.
Listening in on calls
StingRay technology has been used since 2006 by the LAPD. LAPD officials have not made any comment about whether or not it has the legal right to use the technology in inappropriate ways, but it has been using it in many cases, such as murder, narcotic and burglary inspections. The LAPD was only supposed to use StingRay cell phone technology for terrorism inspections, but obviously it did not just do that. Between June and Sept of last year, there were 155 StingRay cellular phone investigation cases, and 13 percent of them listened in on calls for non-suspects.
The First Amendment Coalition executive director Peter Scheer does not think the LAPD should be able to use this sort of technology. It is pretty much impossible to keep away from intercepting other people with the StingRay technology, according to those who use the technology, but the LAPD manuals do not even make it clear whether or not this is illegal.
Authorities getting around regulations
Civic privileges activists do not like the StingRay technology because it used to be that authorities had to get permission before they could use technology such as it. Now, regulators can carry around the StingRay technology and use it in secret if they want to.
Privacy laws should be considered
Privacy laws have to be addressed since StingRay might be hurting a ton of privacy privileges for consumers. Many attorneys agree with ACLU attorney Linda Lye who believes that the law needs to look at StingRay and create brand new legislation so privacy violations will be avoided.
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