US police accused of "large -scale monitoring" public mobile phones, involving 250 million equipment

Author: Geng Zhi

On September 1, local time, the Associated Press broke the news in a report that police from all over the United States were using a mobile phone user information tracking software to "large -scale monitoring" to Americans, and the number of mobile devices monitored was actually As many as 250 million units.

However, companies providing such software to the police, as well as those who support the police's use of such software to refute that this is just to better help the police use information technology to solve the case. They also believe that the banner of "protecting privacy" accuses the police in the "large -scale monitoring" of the public through the software.

According to the Associated Press, the mobile phone user information tracking software used by the police station in many places in the United States is called "Fog Reveal", which is literally translated into Chinese called "Misty".

However, unlike the "location information" directly through the satellite positioning system, the data used by this "fog" software when tracking the whereabouts of others comes from the Americans when using some free mobile apps. A unique advertising identification code generated by these apps that can track the functions of user interests and positions. Mobile apps with such built -in functions include free map navigation software Waze, and hundreds of APPs from Starbucks.

According to the Associated Press, although this unique advertising identification code does not include the name information of the owner, because it contains the location and interest of the machine owner, those APPs can be given to the owner through this identification code to give the owner owner to the owner's owner Push specific ads.

The "Misty Demonstration" is to cooperate with a data agency company to obtain this unique advertising identification code and the location information contained in 250 million mobile devices through business channels, and then let the police let the police make these Information is used to track suspects.

However, it is precisely because this advertising identity identification code does not include the identity information of the mobile phone owner, and the relevant data is obtained through commercial channels. Therefore, the "Fog Data" of the "Fog Data Science Co., Ltd." that develops "fog" Science LLC's view, and many US police in the United States who use the software also believes that the software is not a violation of the privacy of user.

It is worth mentioning that the "Mist Data Science Co., Ltd." was created by two senior officials of the Ministry of Land and Safety during the period during the period of the former Bush administration of the former Bush.

However, some NGO organizations that advocate the privacy of user data, such as the US Electronic Frontier Foundation, that this approach still belongs to illegal violations The use of this information for investigation also violates the regulations stipulated in the Fourth Amendment of the US Constitution. Therefore, they believe that the police's use of the software is a "large -scale monitoring" of Americans.

Some people who oppose the police's use of "fog reveals" are dissatisfied with the police who do not disclose relevant information. These people believe that the relevant information should be disclosed and the public supervision should be accepted.

Not only that, the Associated Press also found through interviews that many mobile app providers did not know the information generated by its built -in data tracking function, which has been "revealed" to the police for handling cases (or monitoring others). In response to the Associated Press inquiries, Starbucks also made it clear that the company did not authorize the data generated by the APP for "Misty Revelation".

However, even if there is such a controversy, from the Associated Press report, police in many places in the United States are still using the software of "Misty". This aspect is because in some places in the face of some complicated criminal cases, they felt the potential of this software. The Associated Press mentioned a 2017 case when reporting here: an international well -known international python breeding expert named Ben Renick in the United States was found to die in the place where he raised pythons. The US Missouri Police in the case of investigating the case initially suspected that he was killed by the python he was raised, but later they found that his nanny's mobile phone also appeared at the scene of the crime when the Renk was killed through the "fog disclosure", and once used " The fog revealed the trajectory of the nanny. Although the police finally discovered that the murderer was Rennick's wife, not this nanny, the police were satisfied with the function of "fog revealing".

Another reason why the police that attracts the use of this software from all over the United States is that the price of this software is relatively low, and the annual cost can be as low as $ 7,500. Police in some places will even share a set with other law enforcement agencies. And using the software to search for mobile phone location information is also very convenient. You don't need to find large companies such as Google or Apple to apply for information and apply for search orders like through satellite positioning systems.

Moreover, in addition to the police, such as the US Federal Investigation Agency, the US Customs and Border Protection Agency, etc., they have also sought technical assistance of "fog disclosure" or their partners. For example, investigation on January 6, 2021 U.S. Congress Mountain riots.

Finally, in the Associated Press report, Kevin Metcalf, a prosecutor from Washington, Washington County, USA, also made it clear that he supported the police to use the "fog disclosure" and believed that he would "protect privacy privacy. "The banner stops the police's practice of using this technology to solve the case. Metkafel, who had used the "Misty Revelation" to investigate the case, also said that in the face of emergency cases, this technology can save life, which is much more efficient than the traditional investigation process -especially in the face of facing When trafficking for children and homicide.

He also gave a case of "fog disclosure" to help the police successfully solve the case -it was a case that happened in 2020. A 25 -year -old woman named Sidney Sutherland named Sidney Susselan (Sydney Sutherland) Suddenly disappeared when jogging near New Potter, and was killed. However, because the scene could not find any traces left by the killer except the deceased's mobile phone, Metkaf suggested that the law enforcement department used the "Misty Demonstration" to assist in the investigation, and the result was locked to the real murderer of the woman.

In addition, Metkaf believes that people should understand their privacy ownership "rational". Since they choose to use free mobile apps, they will inevitably transfer some of their information to third parties.

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