03. Sep, 2012
Your right to privacy may face a new attack from an unexpected corner. Law enforcement officials have increasingly made use of cellphone tracking technology to monitor suspects. GPS cellphone tracking allows law officials to gain information without the hassle of a wiretap and warrant. But is this practice ethical?
?
Why Cellphones?
GPS cellphone tracking allows law officials to gain information quickly and easily. By accessing calls, text messages, and locations, they can learn about the habits and plans of suspects. While the old days of wiretaps allowed officers to only access conversations, the GPS capability on cellphones gives these same officers information about where their suspect is heading and what his personal habits and interests are. In fact, most officers don?t even listen to conversations.
?
Why You Should Be Concerned
Wiretapping, a surveillance method growing increasingly out of favor, is regulated similarly to property searches. An officer needs a warrant before he or she can put in a tap. In contrast, GPS cellphone tracking has little to no regulation.
?
Officials often demand cell phone data without any formality, claiming they have a right to it. To make matters worse, your call records, text messages, and other cellphone data can end up in their hands even if you?ve done nothing wrong. If law officers receive data from a cell tower, they?ll get information about all the other phones within that tower?s range.
?
An Outdated System
Of course, we want our law officers to protect us, and we want them to have the means of doing so. However, giving anyone nearly unhindered access to the privacy of American citizens can?t go unchecked.
?
Part of the problem lies in the quickly changing world of technology. The Electronic Communications Privacy Act, for example, has been updated in well over two decades. A bill from the 80?s can?t apply to today?s vastly different world.
?
The Leahy Bill
The primary author of the Electronic Communications bill has recently introduced an amendment to his bill. Senator Patrick Leahy would like to mandate that officers get a warrant before accessing any electronic information. The bill offers only some protection for cellphone GPS surveillance, however. Officers would not need a warrant for accessing GPS tracking logs, only for real-time surveillance.
0 comment(s)
Click here to view the original post.
Source: http://gpswaypoint.org/gps-cellphone-tracking-defending-your-rights/
erin andrews Pepco tour de france instagram Magic Mike Anderson Cooper Gay adele
No comments:
Post a Comment