Aug 20th, 2009
Posted by Jay Stanley, Technology & Liberty Program at 5:51pm	Keep America Safe & Free, Technology and Liberty

Big Brother in Your Pocket

If someone in the 1970s had revealed that within 40 years Americans would all be carrying electronic location-tracking devices with them wherever they traveled, people at the time would have either scoffed at the notion, or concluded that we were destined for a totalitarian takeover by the Soviet Union.

Yet here we are just three decades later, and that situation is precisely what we are rapidly finding ourselves in. The technology is our cell phones.

In 1996 Congress enacted a federal law that requires cell phone providers to install technology that will report the location of a caller who dials 911. The result of this "enhanced 911" or e-911 functionality is that today's mobile phone networks are being built to detect your location — and lots of companies want to make money off of that. Data-mining expert Jeff Jonas in a recent blog post reported that a) companies are already plunging into the business of data-mining all the location information that Americans are creating, and b) they can discover a lot about people from that information. This data "makes where you live and where you work self-evident, and it reveals your most frequent, periodic, infrequent and rare destinations," Jonas writes. It can also reveal who you meet after work for a beer, and roughly where you all go. And that is just the tip of the iceberg.

Jonas worries about the privacy implications but ultimately thinks that as a result of this, "a surveillance intensive future is inevitable." He is probably right that gadgets and conveniences are irresistible, but there is no reason that by setting good public policies, we can't protect our privacy while enjoying these conveniences.

To take just one easy example, why should law enforcement be able to access location records about us held by phone companies without a warrant? Information about our comings and goings is very personal and revealing. That is why the ACLU has filed a lawsuit to learn more about the government's practices. It is now clear that cell phone tracking is a common law enforcement investigative technique, used by both state and federal law enforcement agents, and that it is in use all over the country.

On the commercial side, as Jonas points out, the uses of location tracking are endless. And many of them may well turn out to be things people like. But a key principle of privacy, accepted around the world as part of the core fair information principles, is that information collected for one purpose shouldn't be used for other purposes without people's affirmative permission. If someone wants to sign up for a friend-finding service and understands fully what this means for their privacy (and hopefully has the ability to turn it on and off), that's one thing. But people who are just using their mobile phones for texting and calling friends and family do not expect that companies will exploit the side effects of how cell phones work for other, unrelated purposes that invade their privacy. (The Electronic Frontier Foundation also recently released an excellent white paper on location privacy).

Good policies have protected Americans' privacy in the past. Surveillance cameras, for example, are proliferating throughout our society. This is not good for privacy, and it illustrates what happens when laws are not passed. But the situation would be even more invasive if all those cameras had microphones that recorded not only what people are doing but also what they are talking about. Have you ever noticed that surveillance cameras never have microphones? Why is that? It's not as if microphones are very expensive, they could easily be added to cameras.

The answer is that our wiretapping statutes prevent people's conversations from being recorded in most situations.

The vast landscape of technology deployment across the United States has been very definitely shaped by good policy, and that can be done again. There is no reason that we need to sit back and let our cell phones become what Americans have always viewed as an ultimate totalitarian tool: mass, full-time tracking devices.

Permalink |	Keep America Safe & Free, Technology and Liberty

1. Jason Says:
   Aug 21st, 2009 at 9:23am

   One or two points/questions:
   First off, Do wiretapping laws really cover big brother plucking our conversations randomly from the airwaves? Is not a mobile phone conversation really more of a broadcast than a direst line communication?

   Secondly, almost every single mobile phone in use can be used as a surveillance device by Big Brother. Currently, unless your battery is removed from your phone, then off or on your microphone can still be accessed. So, at any time someone could be monitoring your every word.

   Full time tracking devices is to me secondary in importance to full time eavesdropping devices.

2. Vic Livingston Says:
   Aug 21st, 2009 at 2:42pm

   COVERT CELL PHONE / GPS TRACKING OF INDIVIDUALS:

   THE ELECTRONIC BACKBONE OF AN AMERICAN GESTAPO

   Cell phones and covertly placed GPS tracking beacons are being used by federally-funded citizen vigilante "community stalkers" to stalk, harass, vandalize and terrorize thousands of unjustly targeted American citizens and their families.

   This covert activity is taking place in EVERY county in America, and is known to EVERY police force in America. This covert program is overseen by a secretive federal "multi-agency coordinated action" apparatus directed under the radar of the Obama administration by a secretive executive law enforcement agency.

   President Obama could with the stroke of an executive order signature ban warrantless tracking of American citizens. But he apparently has been co-opted into countenancing this unconstitutional activity.

   The targets of such surveillance also maintain that they are targeted by microwave and laser "directed energy weapons" assaults that are believed to be delivered via the telecommunications system (GPS-type cellphone tower- based and satellite-based systems as well as portable weaponry).

   This is truly Orwellian, and I am glad to see the ACLU finally addressing the subject. Your attention is long overdue. The New Jersey ACLU chapter has been crusading for a state law banning the warrantless cellphone or GPS tracking of individuals. National ACLU must do the same.

   Read about the government-overseen vigilante Gestapo that exists in EVERY county in America, here:

   http://nowpublic.com/world/gestapo-usa-govt-funded-vigila nte-network-terrorizes-america

   OR (if link is corrupted / disabled):

   http://NowPublic.com/scrivener RE: "GESTAPO USA"

3. Guy Brilando Says:
   Aug 22nd, 2009 at 5:35am

   You people amaze me!!!! And now Obama wants to not only track you but know everything about you with GOVERNMENT run health care!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

4. William Toodle Says:
   Aug 22nd, 2009 at 7:56pm

   speaking of Educational racism ponder this my educational loan is being split into two part and held for classes i haven't enrolled in yet which is a violation under the federal family education loan program Borrower's right and responsibilites statement. Which states if the loan amount exceeds the amount owed to the school, my school will forward the remainder of my loan money to me, unless i authorize the school to hold the remainder as a credit.I never authorize such a thing. The phoenix police department is behinde this for what i reported in early blogs. the same thing happen last year and i sent emails to my lawyer and he knews this would happen again. they don't know but there accreditation will soon by compromised for racial discrimination. Not just the finanical aid office i sent emails to the dean all upper adminisration seeking help. What did they do? block my emails from being sent to them. then somehow my check was released dispite what i was being told by financial aid they lied till the end. as for me i went on to have one of my most successful year ending with a 3.0 GPA. this is why it's so important to help stop racism in our schools and other places, and hold these people accountable for there actions. They pat you on the back wish you well and when you turn and walk away they do everything in the power to keep you from achieving your goals. special thanks to that person who sent the letter i got it. thank you for your support. If we want America to truly be a land of freedom, equal rights stop picking battels your willing to fight and stand up against all wrong doing remember thing change when people band together and speak loudly against certain things use the media the way they use us, make them earn their money, and report crimes that are worthy of news like whats going on hear in Phoenix Arizona i tell you it's a dam shame from the outhouse to the courthouse it's troubling. and to the President i would never vote for you again so soon have you forgotten the people voted you in and they are the last on the pole to get help, you talk a good game, but you have shown very little. it's not always good to start for the top sometime you have to attack from the bottom up, like crooket Judges Police school officals these are the thing that matter to people who stand in line 5hrs waiting to vote for you. dont for get where you come from, and how some people still look at you make a real difference while you can ....... Peace William

5. upurs Says:
   Aug 23rd, 2009 at 11:35am

   well ..we see how bad things are getting for the poor/commoners...now who is gonna anything about it?...year after year,new laws,upgraded,existing laws,and more civil liberties taken away...i mean...wher do we start??..the government(which is supposed to be "our government") is hitting us on all fronts.aclu?...i mean how can this organization do?...there are so many issues i could start complaining about that i think most people would agree with,but to sit here and pick overa some of them seems like it's missing the point!...the point is to fight this government control on all fronts,like they are doing to us..and to top this off,the diplomats/ultra rich are exempt from living under the jurisdiction of a lot of these restrictions!...so wher do we fight?

6. Rogelio Salcido, chicago Says:
   Aug 25th, 2009 at 7:02pm

   Hopefully Eric Holder's ivestigation will help with some of thes problems.

7. Ernesto Rodriguez Says:
   Sep 17th, 2009 at 7:31pm

   —“COMPUTER POLICE STATE” by Paul Baird

   http://www.surveillanceissues.com/article_computerstate.p df

   There is no doubt that the global conquest which has been secretly carried out by the U.S based military/agency/corporate crime conglomerate would not have been possible without the vast capabilities of extremely advanced computer systems. These technologies certainly enable the U.S and its close allies to exert absolute control over many organisations and individuals including the worldwide mass media and all telecommunications networks. They thereby determine the ebb and flow of most information. Computer technology has also allowed the U.S and its allies to secretly amass space and ground-based weaponry which goes well beyond the knowledge or understanding of the general population. This equipment is used not so much on genuine enemies as it is on those innocent, concerned citizens who seek to address issues like the undue influence exercised by the crime conglomerate over global affairs; finance, politics, public opinion, weather and much more.

   Now, the U.S and its close allies don‘t often exercise their full power, lest it raise suspicion, and when they do it‘s done without media coverage. However, that power extends to the point where whole systems can be quickly corrupted or shut down at the snap of a finger. Unbeknowns to most the crime conglomerate has super computers capable of processing over 280 trillion calculations per second, EACH. Our minds do 5,000, so just one such computer could currently out perform every human mind put together, almost ten times over.

   Many such computers are utilised to collect, collate, analyse, cross reference and disseminate information, all of which is gleaned from surveillance systems which are also far beyond those which the community recognises.

   It‘s also important to note that satellite monitoring of ALL telecommunications, of countless face to face conversations and of the brain waves of many effectively drains the brains of the citizenry and feeds the thieving New World Order with valuable options, ideas, strategies and warnings. This thoroughly empowers the very real, very malevolent —Big Brother“ to control what we think, feel, do and say. The ruling bodies that play this role do so on behalf of the 1,000 or so families which own 90% of the world‘s wealth and covet the other 10%; which is shared by the rest of us. We are merely mushroomed mental slaves to the megalomaniacs who have arranged this madness in secret.

   Many writers have subtly alluded to this tragic situation but always in an unreal fantasy or sci fi setting so as to avoid censorship, victimisation etc. One such piece is the movie —The Matrix“, wherein human beings live in pods, are used like computer batteries and are fed with distractive programming which becomes their lives. Those waking up to this trickery are subsequently persecuted by computer —agents“. The alert reader will observe from what follows that there are frightening similarities between that inspired movie and the reality which awaits us if nothing is done to stop the current trend towards ever bigger conspiracies involving computer technology. The available technology already allows far too much which remains unpoliced. Anything from microwave towers to psychotronic weaponry to directed energy weapons and more can be (and is) used against members of the civilian population thanks to secretive computer/satellite technology. Computers are fine with reference to time-saving devices like home automation and calculators or —fun“ devices like interactive games and they‘re especially helpful for transactions, various searches, communications and the like BUT the crime conglomerates uses are frightening; making the microchip the most significant and dangerous invention ever devised.

8. Rachel, California Says:
   Sep 25th, 2009 at 9:15pm

   William Toodle:

   What school has let you earn a 3.0 GPA without learning how to write a grammatical sentence or a well-constructed argument? Please name the school so we can all avoid going there!