Questions on Cell Phone Tracking

Testimony was heard in a Michigan House committee yesterday, on sophisticated cellphone tracking equipment that allows police to caputre a suspect’s cellphone information, traffic data and location. And the American Civil Liberties Union and others are raising questions about their potential abuse, and infringement on the privacy of innocent cellphone users. Christopher Soghoian, a policy analyst with the ACLU, says the Michigan Legislature may be the first in the nation to formally hold hearings on the devices, known in the spy world as Stringray, Hailstorm or other names. He says it’s too easy for law enforcement and others, to abuse the devices, especially since agreements with manufacturers, namely the Harris Corporation, effectively prohibit local courts and judges from even knowing the equipment is being used in their community.