The U.S. government is capturing mobile phone data from unsuspecting U.S. citizens using sophisticated technology designed to catch criminals.
A report suggests that the government is using fake cell phone towers inside of planes. These fake towers are designed to trick phones into handing over identification information.
"The U.S. Marshals Service program, which became fully functional around 2007, operates Cessna aircraft from at least five metropolitan airports, with a flying range covering most of the U.S. population, according to people familiar with the program," said a report.
Mobile phones are essentially programmed to connect to the closest cell phone tower, however they can trust signals from fake towers. These towers can trick phones into thinking that they offer the strongest signal, as has been demonstrated a number of times by hackers.
The program is reportedly being put in place to reveal the locations of known criminals, however the technology likely has to get information from thousands of other phones before it can find the right ones. It can reportedly pinpoint the location of someone within three meters.
It seems as though the program was kept from many people, even government officials. A number of lawmakers have begun seeking answers after the report surfaced.
"Americans are rightfully disturbed by just how pervasive collection of mobile-phone information is, even of innocent individuals," said Sen. Edward Markey of Massachusetts. "While this data can be an important tool for law enforcement to identify and capture criminals and terrorists, we must ensure the privacy rights of Americans are protected.... The collection of American's personal information raises significant legal and privacy concerns, particularly for innocent consumers.''
Spokespeople from the Justice Department have declined to confirm or deny the existence of such a program, however a spokesperson did say it would be "utterly false" to make connections between this program and those that were brought to light by Edward Snowden early in 2013.
It is unknown how much data, if any, is held by law enforcement officials, although an official did say that they do not keep a database of cell phone information. The program does, however, raise a number of legal concerns and concerns about privacy.
"In my experience, the only folks authorized to transmit on those channels are licensed carriers, period," said Frederick Joyce, an attorney that specializes in communications law. Phone companies "are adamant about protecting their customers against any kind of harmful interference, and this to me is harmful interference.''
A spokesperson for Verizon has said that the company does not know of or participate in any such program, however spokespeople for both Sprint and AT&T declined to comment.
