Lawmakers demand details on federal use of Stingray phone surveillance

[herding cats]

Source: The Guardian

The chair of the House of Representatives oversight committee, Jason Chaffetz, with several subcommittee chairs, has sent a letter to the heads of 24 federal agencies, demanding information on the use of Stingray surveillance devices.
IRS possessed Stingray cellphone surveillance gear, documents reveal
Read more

Stingrays are the best known of a class of devices known as “cell-site simulators”. Roughly the size of a suitcase, such devices operate by pretending to be cellphone towers, then stripping data and metadata from phones which connect to them.

Use of the devices does not require a warrant. A bill introduced by Chaffetz last week aims to change that.

In the letters sent out on Monday, Chaffetz, with the committee’s ranking Democrat, Elijah Cummings, and the chair and ranking member of the information technology subcommittee, Will Hurd and Mike Kelly, demanded agencies provide all documented policies and guidelines regarding Stingray use, as well as related memoranda, non-disclosure agreements and purchase orders.

Read more: http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2015/nov/09/congress-stingray-surveillance-jason-chaffetz-elijah-cummings

[fbc]

1. I'd like to hear Bernie's opinion of this program.

So we can find out what Hillary's position will be next week.

[billhicks76]

2. Damn Right

Maybe everyone should buy one and listen to officials calls. This is a disgrace.

[warrprayer]

3. kick

It's about time