Lawmakers demand to know which govt. agencies are spying on Americans using cell tower simulators

(Freedom.news) How many federal agencies are spying on Americans using sophisticated technology that mimics cell phone towers? That is the question on the minds of an increasing number of U.S. lawmakers from both parties following revelations that the Justice Department was using “Stingray” cellphone tracking equipment without first obtaining warrants, Defense One reported recently.

Following the initial revelations, lawmakers learned that the Justice Department was not the only federal agency using the Stingrays; last month, documents showed that even the Internal Revenue Service is using the surveillance devices, making it the 13^th federal agency known to be operating them, according to data obtained by the American Civil Liberties Union, via Freedom of Information Act requests.

In a letter sent out Nov. 9, House Oversight Committee Chairman Jason Chaffetz, R-Utah, and ranking member Elijah Cummings, D-Md., as well as the top members of the panel’s IT subcommittee, have asked two dozen key agencies to share their policies regarding use of the devices.

Known as cell phone tower simulators – which, as Natural News has reported, are also being utilized by local police departments – the devices pose as real cell towers and trick nearby cellular devices to make connection with them. At that point the devices can used direction and strength of connection to find out where the device is located and to steal private data.

Since the government’s use of the Stingrays was divulged for the first time last year, some federal agencies have made their use policies public. Both Homeland Security and the Justice Department have published internal guidance that agents must follow when using them, to include limits on the retention of data gathered during sweeps and the constitutional requirement to first obtain a search warrant from courts.

However, those policies only apply to those agencies and not to state and local law enforcement.

The letter sent by Chaffetz and fellow committee members requests details about data retention policies, use of Stingrays at the state and local levels, any non-disclosure agreements associated with Stingray use, and details about any alleged misuse of the devices.

In addition, the committee’s letter asks each agency to provide an inventory of their Stingray devices and how much each one cost.