A Supreme Court judge in Buffalo ordered the Sheriff Office at Erie Country to disclose secret information to public which was collected from the public through Stingray surveillance device including phone numbers and locations of New Yorkers.
Apart from the utterly questionably legality and constitutionality of this sort of mass surveillance, it is the high level of secrecy that’s been surrounding such devices that is more intriguing.
We have been uncovering details about the way law enforcement agencies use the infamous “Stingray” and similar other cell tower spoofing devices for tracking unsuspecting innocent citizens for quite some time now.
We also informed our readers about the agencies claim of the threat of “terrorism” as the primary concern behind the use of Stingrays.
Must Read: Terrorism cannot be stopped through Mass Surveillance Tactics- Snowden
We also have told our followers about Stingrays manufacturing firm Harris Corp., pressurizing police department to approve non-disclosure agreements that will prohibit the revealing of use of Stingrays. Harris Corp., apparently, also misled the FCC for getting its mobile tower spoofing abilities approved.
Must Read: FBI Admits Its Secret Spy Tool Stingray Disrupts Phone Service
And, now we are informing you that the concerns regarding the use of these sorts of devices by the law enforcement agencies are growing.
Moreover, some courts are also getting dubious regarding Stingrays usage.
According to the New York Civil Liberties Union (NYCLU), in one of its cases a judge ordered the Erie County Sheriff’s Office to disclose data to public regarding the department’s use of Stingrays.
Furthermore, the judge has also granted attorney fees to the union.
Now it will be quite interesting to see how and if the Sheriff’s Office challenges the judge’s decision but we have to admit that it is a win-win situation for transparency in a state where law enforcement agencies have kept its operations completely secret so far.
Must Read: FBI wants to hide how cops are spying on you via “stingray” cellphone tracker
Full ruling is available below and it’s worth reading: