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Devices Which Track Cellphones, Intercept Calls Found All Over DC, MD, VA

nbcwashington.com

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Re: Devices Which Track Cellphones, Intercept Calls Found All Over DC, MD, VA

#21

Post by joe_the_user »

jlgaddis wrote: post #4

Related article, "Feds: There are hostile stingrays in DC, but we don’t know how to find them" [0], and discussion [1] from 45d ago. [0]: https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2018/04/dhs-to-senator-m... [1]: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=16748971

My guess would be that the situation isn't that they can't find the stringrays but that they can't distinguish between "hostile" and "friendly" stringrays. After all, each agency deploying such devices does so as secretly as possible, naturally not alerting other agencies, and so there's no list of friendly stingrays.

Re: Devices Which Track Cellphones, Intercept Calls Found All Over DC, MD, VA

#23

Post by ballenf »

bwilliams18 wrote: post #16

I don't understand the assertion that the US Gov't can't do anything to prevent the foreign governments from doing this... The FCC has broad powers to regulate the public airwaves. This technology clearly disturbes authorized and licensed utilizaton of the airwaves OUTSIDE of the bounds of the Embassies. FCC should have the power to prevent this.

The situation discussed in the article was with regard to Stingray-type devices placed at foreign embassies which are considered foreign soil. The FCC doesn't regulate embassies any more than it regulates Beijing or Moscow.

The Stingrays found on K Street (far from Embassy Row) and some bridges were more likely US government operations.

So the question comes back to are there non-embassy, non-US government Stingrays deployed and how to find them.

Re: Devices Which Track Cellphones, Intercept Calls Found All Over DC, MD, VA

#24

Post by trendia »

ballenf wrote: post #23
bwilliams18 wrote: post #16

I don't understand the assertion that the US Gov't can't do anything to prevent the foreign governments from doing this... The FCC has broad powers to regulate the public airwaves. This technology clearly disturbes authorized and licensed utilizaton of the airwaves OUTSIDE of the bounds of the Embassies. FCC should have the power to prevent this.

The situation discussed in the article was with regard to Stingray-type devices placed at foreign embassies which are considered foreign soil. The FCC doesn't regulate embassies any more than it regulates Beijing or Moscow. The Stingrays found on K Street (far from Embassy Row) and some bridges were more likely US government operations. So the question comes back to are there non-embassy, non-US government Stingrays…

Honest question:

If an embassy started blaring very loud music (or a siren), can the US do anything about it?

Likewise, if they started emitting strong microwaves at people, can the US do anything about it?

It seems like there must be some limitation to what you can do from the embassy to people outside of it.

Re: Devices Which Track Cellphones, Intercept Calls Found All Over DC, MD, VA

#27

Post by nyolfen »

guelo wrote: post #26

It was the responsibility of the FCC to have never allowed these devices to manufactured, but as typical they fell for the police exemption excuse. Now they'll be abused more and more.

you can manufacture one in your bedroom with an sdr and an rpi:

https://julianoliver.com/output/stealth-cell-tower

Re: Devices Which Track Cellphones, Intercept Calls Found All Over DC, MD, VA

#28

Post by adventured »

trendia wrote: post #24
ballenf wrote: post #23

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The situation discussed in the article was with regard to Stingray-type devices placed at foreign embassies which are considered foreign soil. The FCC doesn't regulate embassies any more than it regulates Beijing or Moscow. The Stingrays found on K Street (far from Embassy Row) and some bridges were more likely US government operations. So the question comes back to are there non-embassy, non-US government Stingrays…

Honest question: If an embassy started blaring very loud music (or a siren), can the US do anything about it? Likewise, if they started emitting strong microwaves at people, can the US do anything about it? It seems like there must be some limitation to what you can do from the embassy to people outside of it.

The loud music would draw a political rebuke / protest response, and then after if it didn't cease, it would plausibly draw some kind of tit for tat response in the other nation. The US can expel diplomats and isolate an embassy (eg cut power, water, etc), essentially making it non-maintainable (inhospitable) as a position. It could also surround it literally, effectively sealing it off to access, preventing the ability to leave (with predictable consequences).

The strong microwaves would be treated as an act of war: an attack on Americans, on American soil, by a foreign power. If it didn't immediately stop, the US would invade that foreign soil and do whatever it decided was required.

Re: Devices Which Track Cellphones, Intercept Calls Found All Over DC, MD, VA

#29

Post by pests »

ballenf wrote: post #23
bwilliams18 wrote: post #16

I don't understand the assertion that the US Gov't can't do anything to prevent the foreign governments from doing this... The FCC has broad powers to regulate the public airwaves. This technology clearly disturbes authorized and licensed utilizaton of the airwaves OUTSIDE of the bounds of the Embassies. FCC should have the power to prevent this.

The situation discussed in the article was with regard to Stingray-type devices placed at foreign embassies which are considered foreign soil. The FCC doesn't regulate embassies any more than it regulates Beijing or Moscow. The Stingrays found on K Street (far from Embassy Row) and some bridges were more likely US government operations. So the question comes back to are there non-embassy, non-US government Stingrays…

Politics and retaliation aside, embassies and diplomatic immunity is nothing more than a courtesy offered by the host country.

Re: Devices Which Track Cellphones, Intercept Calls Found All Over DC, MD, VA

#30

Post by stareatgoats »

ballenf wrote: post #23
bwilliams18 wrote: post #16

I don't understand the assertion that the US Gov't can't do anything to prevent the foreign governments from doing this... The FCC has broad powers to regulate the public airwaves. This technology clearly disturbes authorized and licensed utilizaton of the airwaves OUTSIDE of the bounds of the Embassies. FCC should have the power to prevent this.

The situation discussed in the article was with regard to Stingray-type devices placed at foreign embassies which are considered foreign soil. The FCC doesn't regulate embassies any more than it regulates Beijing or Moscow. The Stingrays found on K Street (far from Embassy Row) and some bridges were more likely US government operations. So the question comes back to are there non-embassy, non-US government Stingrays…

The claim in the article seems dubious. Why would an embassy operate a stingray? More likely it's US government agencies spying on the embassies.
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