The Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) is using an anti-terrorism device that indiscriminately sweeps up cellphone communications of innocent bystanders during burglary, drug and murder investigations.

LA Weekly wrote back in September that the police agency purchased Stingray technology in 2006 using Department of Homeland Security (DHS) funds, and is deploying the portable equipment for routine police operations. DHS grant documents said the device was intended for “regional terrorism investigations.”

Stingray pretends that it is a cell tower and fools wireless phones into establishing a connection. Once connected, it can establish cell location and download information of people who are not suspects in an investigation, raising all sorts of privacy issues.    

Information obtained by the First Amendment Coalition under the California Public Records Act indicates that LAPD used Stingray 21 times in a four-month period last year. While carriers like AT&T and Sprint typically require a court order before granting law enforcement access to cellphone data, it is not clear that LAPD is asking the courts for a warrant.

Privacy advocates argue that accessing phones with Stingray constitutes a “search and seizure” under the Constitution’s Fourth Amendment, and requires a warrant. The FBI has argued it doesn’t need a warrant because cellphone users have no reasonable expectation of privacy. The U.S.Supreme Court has not yet ruled on the issue.

The records viewed by LA Weekly seemed to indicate that judges were not fully apprised of Stingray’s scope; that it was sweeping a range of cellphones rather than a specific suspect’s phone.

LAPD refuses to comment on Stingray, which is reportedly also being used by local law enforcement in Fort Worth, Texas, Gilbert, Arizona, and Miami.   

–Ken Broder

To Learn More:

LAPD Spied on 21 Using StingRay Anti-Terrorism Tool (by Jon Campbell, LA Weekly)

LAPD’s Use of “Stingray” Cell-Phone Monitoring Tool Revealed by FAC Public Records Request (by Peter Scheer, First Amendment Coalition)

FBI Uses Portable Device to Track Cell Phone Users (by Matt Bewig, AllGov)

LAPD Spy Device Taps Your Cell Phone (by Jon Campbell, LA Weekly)

Stingrays: The Biggest Technological Threat to Cell Phone Privacy You Don't Know About (by Hanni Fakhoury and Trevor Timm, Electronic Frontier Foundation)