UK Met Police Tracking Mobiles with New Surveillance System

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Puppeteer
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Joined: Sun 05 Sep 2010, 06:39

UK Met Police Tracking Mobiles with New Surveillance System

#1 Post by Puppeteer »

The article: Met police using surveillance system to monitor mobile phones

Some excerpts:
The surveillance system has been procured by the Metropolitan police from Leeds-based company Datong plc, which counts the US Secret Service, the Ministry of Defence and regimes in the Middle East among its customers. Strictly classified under government protocol as "Listed X", it can emit a signal over an area of up to an estimated 10 sq km, forcing hundreds of mobile phones per minute to release their unique IMSI and IMEI identity codes, which can be used to track a person's movements in real time.

....

Barrister Jonathan Lennon, who specialises in cases involving covert intelligence and Ripa, said the Met's use of the Datong surveillance system raised significant legislative questions about proportionality and intrusion into privacy.

"How can a device which invades any number of people's privacy be proportionate?" he said. "There needs to be clarification on whether interception of multiple people's communications – when you can't even necessarily identify who the people are – is complaint with the act. It may be another case of the technology racing ahead of the legislation. Because if this technology now allows multiple tracking and intercept to take place at the same time, I would have thought that was not what parliament had in mind when it drafted Ripa."
Interesting what can be accomplished applying fairly simple tech, isn't it...

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tasmod
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#2 Post by tasmod »

Wow, I seem to remember the company forming and meeting it's founder.

I'm sure it was Dr. D.A. Tong, so that's where the name came from.

Originally made telecoms for the amateur radio market and then quickly branched out. They produced the tracking system for the 'tracker' network. Usually distinguished on patrol cars by the '4 square' antennas. Uses diversity reception.

With this pseudo mobile network system, on the one hand I can see the benefit for stopping mobiles as bomb trigger devices, on the other another blow for individual freedom.

The Police State is very rapidly forming to completion.

Since the cops got hold of the traffic cam network, they can track any vehicle movement. Now with this, it's down to individual tracking. As long as they have a mobile phone.

(With the crawlers can you imagine the alarms with all the keywords here ) :lol: :lol:
Rob
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The moment after you press "Post" is the moment you actually see the typso 8)

PaulBx1
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Location: Wyoming, USA

#3 Post by PaulBx1 »

Time to get rid of the police.

nooby
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Joined: Sun 29 Jun 2008, 19:05
Location: SwedenEurope

#4 Post by nooby »

Haha that was a good find. Thanks indeed for sharing it.
So it is that easy. Did any of us guess that was possible.

Maybe something even more sinister is possible?

Have not people talked about that one can activate the microphone
even without making a call to the phone? One have no idea that it
happen. The only way to protect oneself is to take out the battery :)

And then them know where one was when one did it :)
I use Google Search on Puppy Forum
not an ideal solution though

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