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Tracking Phones, Google Is a Dragnet for the Police

nytimes.com

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Re: Tracking Phones, Google Is a Dragnet for the Police

#71

Post by hopler »

gist wrote: post #63
kyrra wrote: post #6

Even without Google or Apple, they police have the cell service providers. In the case of the Austin bomber from a year ago[0], police got cell tower records from the multiple bombings and figured out who was at all the locations. Cell phones are little trackers unless you turn them off or don't carry one. [0] https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.nbcnews.com/news/amp/ncna85...

> Even without Google or Apple, they police have the cell service providers Important to keep in mind that additional information provides corroboration at least in the mind of the jury and also detracts from issues regarding the information. This is illustrated by one of those Datelines' (or 48 Hours don't remember) that I saw recently. They exhumed a body to determine if the deceased was buried with contact lenses…

Vegetables are good food. Swirls looks nice. These are things people enjoy, not distractions.

Re: Tracking Phones, Google Is a Dragnet for the Police

#72

Post by teamspirit »

I find it interesting in the bombing warrant they describe Google as "an email provider". Then follow it with, "The information to be searched...consists of Google location data...". It's not like they looked at the suspects emails. The fact that the police must have thought, "what is Google? Well, I have a gmail account, they're an email provider!".

Re: Tracking Phones, Google Is a Dragnet for the Police

#73

Post by sys_64738 »

dvtrn wrote: post #23
vermontdevil wrote: post #20

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Hackman was also in another movie about spying and paranoia - The Conversation. Great movie. I know it’s not about nation states spying but wanted to add that here

Oh? Thanks for the recommendation, I'm a big fan of Hackman's acting and spy movies especially-lately, so I'll definitely be looking this up. Cheers

It's a great movie. Harrison Ford plays a secretary if I recall correctly.

Re: Tracking Phones, Google Is a Dragnet for the Police

#74

Post by crankylinuxuser »

zelon88 wrote: post #68
kyrra wrote: post #6

Even without Google or Apple, they police have the cell service providers. In the case of the Austin bomber from a year ago[0], police got cell tower records from the multiple bombings and figured out who was at all the locations. Cell phones are little trackers unless you turn them off or don't carry one. [0] https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.nbcnews.com/news/amp/ncna85...

But a Google or Apple smartphone can potentially contain the contact information about third parties who don't own Apple or Google smartphones themselves. Take a young person with an iPhone. Their 95 year old grandparents might not have a single piece of technology from 1990 onwards but because their grandson has their phone number, address, and birthday in his iPhone those people could potentially be vulnerable to t…

You'd be surprised how cheap a mask, crowbar, and a rental van is.

Never underestimate this https://xkcd.com/538/ attack.

Re: Tracking Phones, Google Is a Dragnet for the Police

#75

Post by sys_64738 »

This is for Google Android phone only? Or Apple too? What if the real perp has an iPhone but Apple doesn't provide that info. Meanwhile an innocent who has an Android phone happens to fit the profile 'enough' for the cops to collar him. Sounds pretty much like a lawsuit in waiting...

Re: Tracking Phones, Google Is a Dragnet for the Police

#76

Post by dontbenebby »

sys_64738 wrote: post #75

This is for Google Android phone only? Or Apple too? What if the real perp has an iPhone but Apple doesn't provide that info. Meanwhile an innocent who has an Android phone happens to fit the profile 'enough' for the cops to collar him. Sounds pretty much like a lawsuit in waiting...

My guess is if you're signed into Google services and have Google Maps installed, you would be in the dataset.

(I tried using a custom search operator but can't find any mentions of "sensorvault" prior to the NYT article).

I'm curious if you're included if you search in private browsing mode, or use the Goole Maps iOS application but haven't signed into it.

Re: Tracking Phones, Google Is a Dragnet for the Police

#77

Post by webreac »

duxup wrote: post #51
joshka wrote: post #46

Earlier quoted context omitted.

A fun thought exercise to break the "can't do it" perspective. Imagine someone says they'll give you 10 million dollars to get it done, could you do it then?

I think the challenge is you don't know where the "runner" you're tracking is going and the variety of surveillance systems they tap into is a pretty big unknown.

The inefficiency of administration is the last protection of our privacy ?

Re: Tracking Phones, Google Is a Dragnet for the Police

#78

Post by gist »

hopler wrote: post #71
gist wrote: post #63

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Even without Google or Apple, they police have the cell service providers Important to keep in mind that additional information provides corroboration at least in the mind of the jury and also detracts from issues regarding the information. This is illustrated by one of those Datelines' (or 48 Hours don't remember) that I saw recently. They exhumed a body to determine if the deceased was buried with contact lenses…

Vegetables are good food. Swirls looks nice. These are things people enjoy, not distractions.

I did not say 'only reason'. Of course there could be other benefits. And I am guessing we are not talking about the same restaurant experiences either.

Re: Tracking Phones, Google Is a Dragnet for the Police

#79

Post by dontbenebby »

Jerry2 wrote: post #36

> Though Google’s data cache is enormous, it doesn’t sweep up every phone, said Mr. Edens, the California intelligence analyst. And even if a location is recorded every few minutes, that may not coincide with a shooting or an assault. > But despite the drawbacks, detectives noted how precise the data was and how it was collected even when people weren’t making calls or using apps — both improvements over tracking tha…

>This doesn't seem like the IEMI cell tower tracking that carriers do.

It would have much richer granularity than cell tower tracking. Cell towers can be miles apart. Google location services use GPS, cell towers, and the wireless access points around you to pinpoint.

(For example when I worked in an urban office it could tell which side of the building I was at when looking at directions)

Re: Tracking Phones, Google Is a Dragnet for the Police

#80

Post by loteck »

rexpop wrote: post #49
JumpCrisscross wrote: post #3

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Why do we have a system that says justice was served? Suggest specific improvements and call them into your representatives. The closer you can make your proposals to a bill, the more likely it is that the problem becomes an issue. In this case, I’d argue we need publicly-subsidised attorneys for wrongful arrest. It should also be unlawful to dismiss an employee because they were arrested and never indicted. Giving…

My representatives do not listen to me.

They probably do, but they also have to listen to hundreds of thousands of others just like you, and pick which opportunities to act on. Can you understand why they may both listen to you and not take action on your concern?
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