Sprint Receives Law Enforcement Requests for GPS Location Data

[Kevin and 10]

http://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2009/12/surve...d-8-million-law

This October, Chris Soghoian — computer security researcher, oft-times journalist, and current technical consultant for the FTC's privacy protection office — attended a closed-door conference called "ISS World". ISS World — the "ISS" is for "Intelligence Support Systems for Lawful Interception, Criminal Investigations and Intelligence Gathering" — is where law enforcement and intelligence agencies consult with telco representatives and surveillance equipment manufacturers about the state of electronic surveillance technology and practice. Armed with a tape recorder, Soghoian went to the conference looking for information about the scope of the government's surveillance practices in the US. What Soghoian uncovered, as he reported on his blog this morning, is more shocking and frightening than anyone could have ever expected

At the ISS conference, Soghoian taped astonishing comments by Paul Taylor, Sprint/Nextel's Manager of Electronic Surveillance. In complaining about the volume of requests that Sprint receives from law enforcement, Taylor noted a shocking number of requests that Sprint had received in the past year for precise GPS (Global Positioning System) location data revealing the location and movements of Sprint's customers. That number?

EIGHT MILLION.

[The_Dude 1,142]

Wow, that is shocking. But if you insist on having a high end handset that enables GPS on it, you shouldn't be shocked that you can be tracked.

[slim 1,533]

The shocking part shouldn't be that you can be tracked.... it should be that Sprint has a whole department dedicated to tracking people and aiding law enforcement with determining your whereabouts.

- And that you're paying for it.

I wonder if Snitch/Narctell (I mean, uh, Sprint/Nextell) customers get ther itemized bill and it says -

Service- $39.99

Text/pictures-$5.99

E-911-$1.99

Taxes-$4.99

Electronic monitoring for law enforcement purposes active assistance fee - $2.99

I have no doubt the government has and always will be monitoring us. But damn, we pay taxes already! Why should we have to pay a service fee for our companies to "help" them find us? If you want OnStar or LoJack or whatever, you pay a fee for that, right? I'm not sure that Snitch/Narctell is letting all their customers know they're paying for this "service."