Federal judges are starting to question the use of cell phone tracking tools by federal investigators without full knowledge of the judges. The tools known as “stingray” or “kingfish” allow law enforcement to determine the location of cell phones and intercept conversations. (ACLU of Northern California, March 27, 2013, by Linda Lye)
“Stingrays simulate a cellphone tower and can locate a phone even if it isn’t making a call. A handful of federal judges have now expressed concerns about similar cellphone tracking technologies, particularly because federal officers have been using them after getting lower court orders that don’t meet the same standard as search warrants,” reports Jennifer Valentino-DeVries for the Wall Street Journal, March 27, 2013.
The First Amendment Coalition recently helped Jon Campbell of the LA Weekly to obtain records through the California Public Records Act from the Los Angeles Police Department about their use of the stingray devices. (First Amendment Coalition , February 15, 2013, by Peter Scheer)