Documents obtained by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) under a FOIA request show how widespread the use of stingray devices is among Florida law enforcement agencies.

In a blog post, staff attorney Nathan Freed Wessler at the ACLU Speech, Privacy & Technology Project, said “the documents paint a detailed picture of police using an invasive technology — one that can follow you inside your house — in many hundreds of cases and almost entirely in secret.”

“Results should be troubling for anyone who cares about privacy rights, judicial oversight of police activities, and the rule of law,” he added.

Concerned about the secretive use of the devices and their propensity to collect data beyond the scope of an individual suspect’s phone, in 2014 the ACLU sent requests for records to 36 police and sheriff’s departments in Florida.

The results, Wessler wrote, “should be troubling for anyone who cares about privacy rights, judicial oversight of police activities, and the rule of law.” The records show that Florida law enforcement has spent millions of dollars on the devices, also known as cell site simulators, and has used them in hundreds of investigations.

Read the Full Article: Source – SC Magazine
http://www.scmagazine.com/aclu-requests-yield-details-of-florida-stingray-use/article/399954/

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