Privacy SOS

Dear FBI: That thing you think you need to protect is not actually a secret

Dear FBI,

Everyone who pays attention to surveillance news knows that you've been working with police departments to help them use cell site simulators to spy on people's phones. Anyone who has access to the internet can easily learn this fact. It is not a secret, and nor are the capabilities of IMSI catchers secrets.

We know about your Stingrays. We know you are helping local police all over the country use them. Now we know that you are asking local cops to sign non-disclosure agreements to keep secret their use of these surveillance toys. You say this is because you don't want criminals to know that cops have this technology or for them to understand its capabilities. But it's too late for that, sorry.

Cheers.

P.S. Most criminals are not going to stop using cell phones because they find out the government spies on cell phones.

P.P.S. It's not news to anyone that the government spies on cell phones.

© 2024 ACLU of Massachusetts.