Fake Cell Towers Allow the NSA and Police to Keep Track of You

[jonny5]

The Internet is abuzz with reports of mysterious devices sprinkled across America—many of them on military bases—that connect to your phone by mimicking cell phone towers and sucking up your data. There is little public information about these devices, but they are the new favorite toy of government agencies of all stripes; everyone from the National Security Agency to local police forces are using them.

Fake Cell Towers Allow the NSA and Police to Keep Track of You

Well thats a bit suspicious, and probably illegal search and seizure. Though, who knows what stuff theyve managed to put in various security laws. Is anyone here ok with the govt capturing your cell phone and then sucking out all your data, without informing you or getting a warrant?

 

[PirateMk1]

Well thats a bit suspicious, and probably illegal search and seizure. Though, who knows what stuff theyve managed to put in various security laws. Is anyone here ok with the govt capturing your cell phone and then sucking out all your data, without informing you or getting a warrant?

If you put it into the air its by definition not secure. If you don't want your business known I would suggest another means of communication, or perhaps very intense encryption strategies and algorithms.

 

[lizzie]

Well, I don't like it at all, but aren't you aware that we're all essentially suspicious these days? Especially if we have a brain?

 

[Goshin]

We continue to move towards an Orwellian, Panopticon surveillance state.



Doesn't look like their is sufficient outrage among the citizenry to stop it anymore.

 

[KevinKohler]

I encourage it. I wish the process would speed up a bit, though.

The water needs to get hotter, faster.

 

[Aunt Spiker]

I don't know if calling them 'fake' is the way to go.

'Fake' denotes that they don't work like regular tower work - but they do. They're just owned by (?) The government I suppose - and used for a secondary purpose: to track. Pretty clever, honestly - just sidestep that there supreme court ruling and whamo . . .wait for the next one to say 'you can't do that'.

 

[Jack Fabulous]

We continue to move towards an Orwellian, Panopticon surveillance state.



Doesn't look like their is sufficient outrage among the citizenry to stop it anymore.

The level of apathy displayed in the face of revelations like this is staggering. Apparently we are going to have to have our freedoms entirely stripped away before people will even understand what the word means.

I can envision a day in the not too distant future where some government agency could type my name into their computer and instantly receive a recording of every call I've made, every text I've sent or received, and a track of everywhere I've been complete with video footage compiled via facial recognition software from networked security cameras. If that isn't scary enough, look at what's happening with satellite capabilities. Think "live google earth" with about 1000 times the number of pixels.:shock:

Not very long ago this would have been considered tinfoil hat stuff. Today it's very real. The really sick part is, not only do we go along with it, we actually pay for it.

 

[Kal'Stang]

I don't know if calling them 'fake' is the way to go.

'Fake' denotes that they don't work like regular tower work - but they do. They're just owned by (?) The government I suppose - and used for a secondary purpose: to track. Pretty clever, honestly - just sidestep that there supreme court ruling and whamo . . .wait for the next one to say 'you can't do that'.

Regular cell phone towers don't de-encrypt and store your cell phone data.

 

[Gringo allstar]

The american people have become sheep, and slowly but surely they are being led to slaughter. Will we as a people wake up before we no longer have any recourse? I'm not so sure anymore.

 

[sangha]

Well, I don't like it at all, but aren't you aware that we're all essentially suspicious these days? Especially if we have a brain?

In that case, my phone is as secure as can be.

 

[Lethargic Aptitude]

The level of apathy displayed in the face of revelations like this is staggering. Apparently we are going to have to have our freedoms entirely stripped away before people will even understand what the word means.

I can envision a day in the not too distant future where some government agency could type my name into their computer and instantly receive a recording of every call I've made, every text I've sent or received, and a track of everywhere I've been complete with video footage compiled via facial recognition software from networked security cameras. If that isn't scary enough, look at what's happening with satellite capabilities. Think "live google earth" with about 1000 times the number of pixels.:shock:

Not very long ago this would have been considered tinfoil hat stuff. Today it's very real. The really sick part is, not only do we go along with it, we actually pay for it.

Sure but the tin foil hat people masturbating over it.

 

[Beaudreaux]

Technically, the airwaves belong to the government. Companies have to get a license from the FCC to transmit over the government airwaves. The SCOTUS has ruled that what is on your phone, in the memory, is yours and protected under the 4th Amendment, however, once you put information or your voice in the air, it's different.

 

[Μολὼν λαβέ]

We continue to move towards an Orwellian, Panopticon surveillance state.



Doesn't look like their is sufficient outrage among the citizenry to stop it anymore.

Many seem to either embrace or deny the trend. Neither of which makes sense to me.

 

[The Mark]

So, basically, the point of this is that if you do something on your phone, it is not private.

Or online, for that matter.






In other news, the sun will likely rise tomorrow.

 

[Kal'Stang]

Technically, the airwaves belong to the government. Companies have to get a license from the FCC to transmit over the government airwaves. The SCOTUS has ruled that what is on your phone, in the memory, is yours and protected under the 4th Amendment, however, once you put information or your voice in the air, it's different.

Yes, but only because of a "technicality". If we also went by the spirit of the law instead of just the letter of the law it should be very different. Unfortunately politicians and those with agenda's are too ****ing dishonest to go by the spirit of the law.

 

[jonny5]

Technically, the airwaves belong to the government. Companies have to get a license from the FCC to transmit over the government airwaves. The SCOTUS has ruled that what is on your phone, in the memory, is yours and protected under the 4th Amendment, however, once you put information or your voice in the air, it's different.

They belong to the people. We allow the govt to moderate the conflicts of everyone using it (though we didnt vote on it). There is obviously no mention of congress being able to make laws regulating personal electrical radiation, but you might be able to argue it under interstate commerce, or argue against it under freedom of speech. But the Bill of Rights makes clear that if the power isnt specified, its reserved to the people and states. Congress should have passed an amendment if they wanted to regulate wireless communication.

 

[MACS-24]

We continue to move towards an Orwellian, Panopticon surveillance state.



Doesn't look like their is sufficient outrage among the citizenry to stop it anymore.

That slow warming pot of water works every time.

 

[Montecresto]

Well thats a bit suspicious, and probably illegal search and seizure. Though, who knows what stuff theyve managed to put in various security laws. Is anyone here ok with the govt capturing your cell phone and then sucking out all your data, without informing you or getting a warrant?

From the link. More evidence of the good that came from Snowden's disclosures!


These fake towers, known as “interceptors,” were discovered in July by users of the CryptoPhone500, one of the ultra-secure cell phones released after Edward Snowden’s leaks about NSA snooping. The phone is essentially a Samsung Galaxy S3 customized with high-level encryption that costs around $3,500. While driving around the country, CryptoPhone users plotted on a map every time they connected to a nameless tower (standard towers run by wireless service providers like Verizon usually have names) and received an alert that the device had turned off their phone’s encryption (allowing their messages to be read).

 

[Montecresto]

Technically, the airwaves belong to the government. Companies have to get a license from the FCC to transmit over the government airwaves. The SCOTUS has ruled that what is on your phone, in the memory, is yours and protected under the 4th Amendment, however, once you put information or your voice in the air, it's different.

And some of us think that that needs to be revisited by the SCOTUS,

 

[Ockham]

Yes we're sheep and we love our gadgets too much to give them up so we tolerate everything we say, type, or do on these devices as well as turn on GPS so our government knows where we go and how often, to be a normal part of life. Not only do we tolerate it, we have already accepted it. We're already in an Orwellian world - most just haven't realized it yet.

 

[HonestJoe]

These fake towers, known as “interceptors,” were discovered in July by users of the CryptoPhone500, one of the ultra-secure cell phones released after Edward Snowden’s leaks about NSA snooping. The phone is essentially a Samsung Galaxy S3 customized with high-level encryption that costs around $3,500. While driving around the country, CryptoPhone users plotted on a map every time they connected to a nameless tower (standard towers run by wireless service providers like Verizon usually have names) and received an alert that the device had turned off their phone’s encryption (allowing their messages to be read).

This does demonstrate an issue with this information in that it seems to be coming exclusively from a company with a vested financial interest in promoting these kind of fears, regardless of how legitimate they are. It'd be better if there was something from a more independent source (which is so often the problem with this kind of thing of course).

 

[Montecresto]

This does demonstrate an issue with this information in that it seems to be coming exclusively from a company with a vested financial interest in promoting these kind of fears, regardless of how legitimate they are. It'd be better if there was something from a more independent source (which is so often the problem with this kind of thing of course).

Newsweek?? Or did I miss something?

 

[HonestJoe]

Newsweek?? Or did I miss something?

They're just echoing what they've found on the internet and as far as the actual towers go, that seems to be exclusively from the "secure" phone manufacturer (who even boasts how much this has increased their sales).

Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying there is nothing to it, I just think people should seek independent and balanced information before jumping to the very worst conclusions. If nothing else, it might save you $3,500.

 

[jonny5]

From the link. More evidence of the good that came from Snowden's disclosures!


These fake towers, known as “interceptors,” were discovered in July by users of the CryptoPhone500, one of the ultra-secure cell phones released after Edward Snowden’s leaks about NSA snooping. The phone is essentially a Samsung Galaxy S3 customized with high-level encryption that costs around $3,500. While driving around the country, CryptoPhone users plotted on a map every time they connected to a nameless tower (standard towers run by wireless service providers like Verizon usually have names) and received an alert that the device had turned off their phone’s encryption (allowing their messages to be read).

My dad is a big radio guy and he said Britain is doing this with airplanes configured as cell towers. They relay your call and record everything that passes through.

 

[Dittohead not!]

Well thats a bit suspicious, and probably illegal search and seizure. Though, who knows what stuff theyve managed to put in various security laws. Is anyone here ok with the govt capturing your cell phone and then sucking out all your data, without informing you or getting a warrant?

Fake cell towers used to spy on us?

That story just smells a lot like the chemtrails story and the 9/11 truther nonsense.

Of course, pretty much anything you send out via cell phone or computer can be accessed in one way or another. How else do you explain ads for items you have researched online appearing over and over?