Sunday, April 12, 2015
FBI Asks Cops To Keep StingRay Device Secret
Before local police forces can buy the crime-fighting tools, they must sign a non-disclosure agreement with the FBI.
The FBI is attempting to keep details of its secret crime-fighting tool called StingRay secret.
The agency says it would rather see cases dropped in court than reveal details of how StingRays are used to fight crime.
StingRays are used by law enforcement agencies across the US and act as spoof mobile phone towers - allowing locations of individuals to be determined, and the interception of calls and text messages.
But little is known about how they work, how often they are used, and how they comply with existing laws.
Before local police forces can buy the equipment from the Harris Corporation, they must sign a non-disclosure agreement with the FBI.
The agreement says: "In order to ensure that such wireless collection equipment/technology continues to be available for use by the law enforcement community, the equipment/technology and any information related to its functions, operation and use shall be protected from potential compromise by precluding disclosure of this information to the public in any manner including but not limited to: press releases, in court documents, during judicial hearings, or during other public forums or proceedings."
It even adds that police forces must seek the dismissal of cases in court if it appears that details of the StingRay equipment would have to be revealed to secure a conviction.
The FBI has said that it imposes the restrictions so that it cannot be outsmarted by criminals.
A spokesman has previously said: "This knowledge could easily lead to the development and employment of countermeasures to FBI tools and investigative techniques by subjects of investigations and completely disarm law enforcement’s ability to obtain technology-based surveillance data in criminal investigations."
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