The U.S. government is reportedly using fake cell towers attached to planes to secretly scan cell phones in the hunt for criminals.
The spy program has been in effect since 2007 and uses Cessna aircrafts equipped with devices that mimic cell phone towers of communications companies, which then trick phones into providing unique registration information.
"Cell phones are programmed to connect automatically to the strongest cell tower signal. The device being used by the U.S. Marshals Service identifies itself as having the closest, strongest signal, even though it doesn't, and forces all the phones that can detect its signal to send in their unique registration information," said (subscription required) a government report. "Even having encryption on one's phone, such as the kind Apple Inc.'s iPhone 6 now includes, doesn't prevent this process."
An official for the Justice Department neither confirmed nor denied the existence of the program, as described in the Wall Street Journal, citing confidentiality regarding the scope of U.S. surveillance capabilities.
The fake tower devices can interrupt calls on certain phones, though authorities have reportedly made sure the device will not interrupt calls made to certain emergency services. The technology can also pinpoint a user's location down to three yards.
The spy program will likely ignite even greater debate regarding user privacy, with many questioning the legality and whether or not there are procedures in place to safely protect collected data.
It is unclear how often the flights take place, although the report says they happen "on a regular basis."
A spokesperson for Verizon has said the company is not aware of any such program and does not take part. Spokespersons at AT&T and Sprint have declined to comment, according to reports.
If the spying tactic turns out to be accurate, the program would appear very similar to National Security Agency surveillance programs exposed by whistleblower and former NSA contractor Edward Snowden early in 2013.
"There are some serious and troubling legal questions about this program," said Electronic Frontier Foundation staff attorney Hanni Fakhoury. "It's important to note this is very different from the government getting this information from a phone company. In the last few months, many state courts and legislatures have required law enforcement get a probable cause search warrant to use these devices. The U.S. Marshals should explain how this program works and what kind of court authorization, if any, they're obtaining to fly planes with 'dirtboxes.' "
