Mobile phone data

luckat

Quote from a website - be interested in people's comments:

http://www.darrenbarefoot.com/archives/2005/10/digital-rights-ireland.html

Digital Rights Ireland

I’m currently at Tech Camp, listening to a pretty fascinating presentation from Digital Rights Ireland:

* In Ireland, the Garda (police) can access mobile phone location and usage data without a warrant or without a criminal charge. They can use it to monitor suspect’s locations and movements.
* One concern is that call centre employees, typically low wage earners, will have easy access to this data.
* These rights may extend to your Web browsing history and email traffic.
* This data will apparently be held for three years, essentially making your mobile phone a tracking collar for police.

gandalf

Funny you posted this there was a good programme on BBC2 yesterday about similar things. They showed a RAC centre where staff could locate you by triangulating your mobile phone signal (they did ask permission) to direct their repair vans.

Article
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/5015826.stm
Programme
http://www.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/check/broadband/mediaplayer/players/bbc2?redirect=console.shtml&package=4587107&nbram=1&bbram=1&nbwm=1&bbwm=1

gandalf

Scrap that proggie link it only works in the UK sorry !!

luckat

On related lines:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/5028918.stm

EU court blocks data deal with US

The US said the deal was essential after the 9/11 attacks
The European Court of Justice has blocked an EU-US agreement that requires airlines to transfer passenger data to the US authorities.

The court said the decision to hand over the data was not founded on an "appropriate legal basis".

European airlines have given US authorities passengers' names, addresses and credit card details.

<snip>

Though I seem to remember that Ireland's lickspittles have already agreed to give all this and more.

biko

luckat wrote:

* In Ireland, the Garda (police) can access mobile phone location and usage data without a warrant or without a criminal charge. They can use it to monitor suspect’s locations and movements.

I agree with this. Very handy in an accident/possible violent situation to be able to be picked up quickly. If you don't want to be tracked, don't register your phone or SIM.

I have seen cases in other countries that they have place a suspect in a area at a certain time because of triangulation. Weak evidence though.

luckat

I find it pretty astounding that the Gardaí can track anyone without the person's consent.

ISAW

biko wrote:

I agree with this. Very handy in an accident/possible violent situation to be able to be picked up quickly. If you don't want to be tracked, don't register your phone or SIM.

How do you get a SIM card without supplying an address?

luckat

You can walk into a shop and buy a SIM card - you don't need to give an address.

The phones being tracked are the registered ones.

Black Swan

luckat wrote:

* This data will apparently be held for three years, essentially making your mobile phone a tracking collar for police.

Like this already goes on in the States using GPS on mobile phones.