Government Can Locate Mobile Phones Without Carrier Cooperation

Documents recently uncovered by the American Civil Liberties Union and Electronic Frontier Foundation show that the federal government has the power to locate mobile phones without having to ask cellular network operators for help. Typically, the government needs to prove probable cause before it can access phone records to determine the location of suspects. Using "triggerfish" technology, the government can side-step that process. Triggerfish devices emulate cell phone towers and can trick a cell phone into broadcasting its serial number, phone number and other data that can be used to locate the mobile phone. The language in the documents unearthed by the ACLU and EFF specifically states that this technology can be used to circumvent the need for law enforcement to display probable cause to a judge before attempting to locate a suspect via their mobile phone.