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cell site simulators

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A nationwide census of cellphone surveillance equipment use and policy.

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NYPD, told it can’t use “Glomar” denial, now claims it has no records on Millions March cell phone surveillance

by Liam Knox

March 21, 2019

The January decision in the case of Millions March NYC v. NYPD represented a decisive victory for transparency around cell site simulators and could be an example to agencies across the country, but transparency and privacy advocates remain concerned about StingRays.

New York court rules NYPD can’t use Glomar to keep surveillance records secret

by Jessie Gomez

January 15, 2019

Secretive federal agencies such as the Central Intelligence Agency and the Federal Bureau of Investigation are notorious for refusing to confirm or deny the existence of their records. The issue becomes trickier when local law enforcement agencies, tasked with serving their communities, reply to public records requests in similar fashion. The New York Police Department has used the infamous “Glomar response” in the past to keep records secret, but this week a New York court ruled that the NYPD can’t use it this time.

Revealing exemptions in Iowa’s withholding of StingRay docs

by Curtis Waltman

January 31, 2017

Iowa is not a state that has been reported as having StingRay surveillance devices, which is why were surprised when the Department of Public Safety responded to our Cell Site Simulator census with a $147.90 invoice for records processing fees. After payment and some waiting, we finally received Iowa’s response, and instead of a fresh batch of records to pore over, what we got was another example of expansive exemptions used to withhold information about these devices.

Were police snooping on Women’s March protesters’ cellphones? Too many departments won’t say

by Curtis Waltman

January 27, 2017

Attend any of the protests over inauguration weekend? Wondering if your phone was surveilled doing so? Unfortunately, with law enforcement’s continued silence about cell site simulators use, it’s almost impossible to know.