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October 22, 2015

New Homeland Security policy demands warrants before deploying StingRays

by John_A

Apple Stores Mark Earth Day, Day After Announcing New Green Initiative

The Department of Homeland Security announced a substantial policy change Wednesday regarding how it employs cellphone-tracking tools like the StingRay system. These cell-site simulators have been in use for more than a decade. They allow law enforcement to find cell phones either by directly searching for a known device or find an unknown device by sniffing for signaling information from the simulator’s immediate vicinity and triangulating that data. The new policy explicitly demands that DHS personnelle acquire a warrant before deploying the devices unless an exception, such as the imminent loss of human life, destruction of evidence, or to prevent the escape of a fugitive felon. Wednesday’s announcement follows a similar decision by the Department of Justice last month.

[Image Credit: Getty]

Via: Verge

Source: Department of Homeland Security

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