I’m sure most Irreal readers are familiar with the fake cell phone towers known colloquially as “Stingray” after the version manufactured by the Harris Corporation. Vox has a nice article on the status of the Stingray and the deteriorating government efforts to keep the use of the device secret.
As things stand now, the government is dismissing cases against dangerous defendants rather than release information about the program. That probably won’t last much longer because the details are leaking out and judges and prosecutors (not to mention defense council) who have been kept in the dark about the program are discovering its existence and scope.
The real problem for the device is that it vacuums up details on all nearby cell phones, not just those of the suspect the government is trying to capture. That’s a clear Fourth Amendment issue. Although the government swears they aren’t doing so, the device can also capture actual conversations as well as phone metadata.
The Vox article explains what the devices do and the current status of the legal arguments against them. Vox don’t mention their use outside the U.S. but I’d be surprised if they aren’t being deployed everywhere. The article is definitely worth a read. Of course, you run the risk of coming away infuriated.