Secret US spy program targeted Americans' cellphones

[Hum]

The Justice Department is scooping up data from thousands of cellphones through fake communications towers deployed on airplanes, a high-tech hunt for criminal suspects that is snagging large number of innocent Americans, according to people familiar with the operations.

The U.S. Marshals Service program, which became fully functional around 2007, operates Cessna aircraft from at least five metropolitan-area airports, with a flying range covering most of the U.S. population, according to people familiar with the program.

Planes are equipped with devices ? some known as ?dirtboxes? to law-enforcement officials because of the initials of the Boeing Co. unit that produces them ? which mimic cell towers of large telecommunications firms and trick cellphones into reporting their unique registration information.

The technology in the two-foot-square device enables investigators to scoop data from tens of thousands of cell phones in a single flight, collecting their identifying information and general location, these people said.

People with knowledge of the program wouldn?t discuss the frequency or duration of such flights, but said they take place on a regular basis.

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[adrynalyne]

In other news, I listened in to a coworker talking on their cell phone.

[FiB3R]

"dirtboxes" :rofl:

[Hum]

"dirtboxes" :rofl:

And users are known as dirtbags. :o

[Praetor]

And users are known as dirtbags. :o

 

Sounds like a dirtjob...

[Arachno 1D]

So..........much like Google street camera collecting unique SSIDs and IP addresses then

[Farchord]

Sounds like a dirtjob...

 

I hope they eat dirt....

[LimeMaster]

Not surprised in the slightly. We all know by now that everyone's being watched from all corners. It certainly would not surprise me if a similar program is being used in other countries as well. 

[ramesees]

So all the people saying that "Stop being paranoid you arent being listened to, you arent important, blah, blah, blah" can change their tune now ?

 

Or will they shift the goal posts again and deny the level to which people's lives are being invaded ?

[spenser.d]

So all the people saying that "Stop being paranoid you arent being listened to, you arent important, blah, blah, blah" can change their tune now ?

Or will they shift the goal posts again and deny the level to which people's lives are being invaded ?

You aren't being listened to. Did you read the article? :rolleyes: