Very disturbing evidence, both circumstantial as well as potentially damning, coming out of Chicago. Activists in Chicago say that the police have been using "Stingray" technology to listen in on the phones of various people during protests. What's the technology do?
The technology essentially puts up a wall between the user’s phone and their provider, forcing phones in the immediate area to send data to the police instead of the nearest cell towers.
That's all well and good to say. Sounds a little paranoid. An image of a radar-like object on top of a police vehicle could be all kinds of things. Is this "technology" you speak of even real and if so, do the police even have it?
The Chicago Police department has finally acknowledged that it had purchased cell-phone interceptor devices back in 2008, raising serious privacy concerns among activists who question how they are being used. The devices, known as IMSI Catchers and sold commercially under names like Stingray, mimic a cell phone tower and connect to mobile devices without the user’s knowledge.
Just an FYI: They purchased $150,000 worth of "Stingrays." Well, it's not like Anonymous has released audio of alleged police dispatches that might sound incriminating. At about 1:03 into the audio:
Dispatch: “CPIC [Crime Prevention and Information Center] on the air for a mobile.” CPIC: “Go ahead.” Officer: “Yeah one of the girls, kinda a organizer here, she’s been on her phone a lot. You guys picking up, ah, any information, uh, where they’re going, possibly?” CPIC: “Yeah we’re keeping an eye on it, we’ll let you know if we hear anything.” Officer: “10-4. They’re compliant, and they’re, they’re doing ok now but she’s spending a lot of time on the phone.” CPIC: “10-4”
If that audio is genuine. The Chicago police are violating citizens' rights. Period.