Profile picture
Laura Moy @lauramoy
, 8 tweets, 4 min read Read on Twitter
Must-read story from @jenvalentino about a service that enables law enforcement customers to get real-time location of *any phone in the country* just by typing in a phone number and self-certifying that they have the requisite legal authority. nytimes.com/2018/05/10/tec…
The vendor, Securus, requires customers to upload a document (possibly any doc?) and check a box to "certify" it's "an official document" (not a warrant, mind you) "giving permission to look up the location" of the target. Look at this. It would be funny if it weren't horrifying.
When asked whether/how it ensures that its customers actually get the necessary authority to retrieve real-time on-demand location information about any phone they want, Securus is basically like, ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ "Securus is neither a judge nor a district attorney," says spokesperson.
Misuse of this service—which is totally predictable—is very real. One of the crazier parts of this very crazy story is that prosecutors are currently going after a former sheriff for using the service to track people without court orders. INCLUDING A JUDGE (!) AND OTHER OFFICERS.
The location info originates from the carriers, who apparently provide sketchy "location aggregators" with a direct portal into real-time location information for all their customers, then exercise zero oversight over what happens with that info. (Yes, my carrier and yours too.)
Senator @RonWyden sent a bunch of letters to carriers and the @FCC this week about this issue. “Wireless carriers have an obligation to take affirmative steps to verify law enforcement requests,” he wrote. No kidding. This is a massive privacy violation.
And it's likely just the tip of an iceberg. This story focuses on one company's misuse of carriers' location info, but there are likely many others. @RonWyden requested audits of carriers' relationships with buyers of data. I'm both excited and scared to hear how those turn out.
And here are the links to the letters from Wyden.

ATT: wyden.senate.gov/download/wyden…
FCC: wyden.senate.gov/download/wyden…
Sprint: wyden.senate.gov/download/wyden…
T-Mobile: wyden.senate.gov/download/wyden…
Verizon: wyden.senate.gov/download/wyden…
Missing some Tweet in this thread?
You can try to force a refresh.

Like this thread? Get email updates or save it to PDF!

Subscribe to Laura Moy
Profile picture

Get real-time email alerts when new unrolls are available from this author!

This content may be removed anytime!

Twitter may remove this content at anytime, convert it as a PDF, save and print for later use!

Try unrolling a thread yourself!

how to unroll video

1) Follow Thread Reader App on Twitter so you can easily mention us!

2) Go to a Twitter thread (series of Tweets by the same owner) and mention us with a keyword "unroll" @threadreaderapp unroll

You can practice here first or read more on our help page!

Related threads

Profile picture
Regular reminder: The telecom network is a giant tracking system and the number of people who can gain access to subscriber data is practically unlimited.

Source: this used to literally be my job.
I've been reminded of a few concepts recently and it's becoming very clear that I've forgotten more about the inner workings & implementation details of telecom protocol stacks than most people will ever know.
The vast majority of reporting on privacy issues in telecom systems painfully mischaracterize the technology & conflate different issues, despite that they generally understate the privacy problems.
Read 24 tweets
Profile picture
Scoop: AT&T, T-Mobile, Sprint all selling customers' real-time location; ultimately ends up in the hands of bounty hunters. I know, because I paid someone $300 on the black market to track us. Located to a specific part of New York. No hacking required motherboard.vice.com/en_us/article/…
Telcos sell customers' real time location to one set of companies, that then sell it to an array of different industries: car rental, fraud detection, and yes, bounty hunters. The supply chain is so complex, the telcos don't even know who has your data motherboard.vice.com/en_us/article/…
Even if AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile sell their location data to one company, it eventually trickles down to people not authorized to use it at all. Including me. Potentially stalkers, criminals too. "People are reselling to the wrong people," source said motherboard.vice.com/en_us/article/…
Read 19 tweets
Profile picture
#Khashoggi Case Thread: I am going to ‘pin’ this post to use it as an ‘Info Thread’ on the #Khashoggi Case. I am in #Turkey. I’ve been following the case closely and with access to sources & experts here. This is a very ‘sensitive’ criminal case due to ‘Diplomatic Booby Traps’!!!
The Evidence Obtained Outside Cameras will not show any evidence of ‘tempering’ but other than license plates of dozens of diplomatic cars (Many with tinted windows-large trunks) with related time stamp, drivers Info, model/year: Nothing.
#Turkish Intel-Investigative Bodies also have the list of all Diplomatic & Private Saudi & “other significant’ Planes in #Turkey for the period of ‘interest.’ Many of the Target airports have their own security cameras & related evidence.
Read 335 tweets
Profile picture
Huge: #SCOTUS holds that gathering location data held by cellphone companies is a 4th Am. search and requires a warrant. supremecourt.gov/opinions/17pdf…
Roberts, writing for a 5-4 majority, says that the cellphone location records are "qualitatively different" from bank and dialing info. The third-party doctrine does not apply.
People "compulsively carry cellphones with them all the time," meaning cell-site location data gives the government "near perfect surveillance, as if it had attached an ankle monitor to the phone's user."
Read 9 tweets
Profile picture
Today, @CER_EU publishes my piece on #Brexit and #JHA. I have been looking at this for 1,5 years so I hope I did not make too many mistakes (links to piece - cer.eu/publications/a… and opens thread)
At the outset of the #Brexit process, most people assumed that a deal on #police and #judicial co-operation was easier to get than one on #trade. Time has shown this is not the case. Ongoing co-op on #JHA is one of the few items yet to be agreed on #withdrawal deal. Why?
Well, because the #EU and #UK's opening positions in the #negotiation are incompatible: Britain wants a #bespoke agreement with the EU, a la #Schengen, but is not willing to accept #ECJ or #EUCharter. EU wants to replicate existing models. What to do?
Read 10 tweets
Profile picture
(1) A Spotlight On Michael Berkland.
(2) His full name is Michael Edward Berkland.

cubib.com/find/michael-b…
(3) He was born on August 31, 1955.

mylife.com/michael-berkla…
Read 266 tweets

Trending hashtags

#Fiance #boundaries #MIC #MonicaMcLean #MSM #JHA #AdnanKhashoggi #Twitter #FBR #SlateReads #harassment #London #Law #conversation #UK #EU #GlobalSupport #FinancialCrash #OsamaBinLaden #thinking #itgetsbetter #TeamTrump #MBS #SaudiLobby #Bezos

Did Thread Reader help you today?

Support us! We are indie developers!

This site is made by just three indie developers on a laptop doing marketing, support and development! Read more about the story.

Become a Premium Member and get exclusive features!

Premium member ($3.00/month or $30.00/year)

Too expensive? Make a small donation by buying us coffee ($5) or help with server cost ($10)

Donate via Paypal Become our Patreon

Thank you for your support!