Fake cell towers, aka stingrays, back in the news
Devices that mimic cell towers, called stingrays and are essentially fake cell towers, are back in the news this week as the U.S. Congress considers creating new regulations on these devices. The move comes after two federal agencies, the U.S. Department of Justice and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, recently declared they will require warrants for use of the devices in their respective departments.
On Oct. 21, the House Oversight Subcommittee listened to testimony regarding stingrays courtesy of Seth Stodder, an assistant secretary at Homeland Security. In his testimony, Stodder detailed the danger of some of the current exceptions to rules prohibiting stingray use without a warrant. One obvious exception that has come to light is the Secret Service does not need a warrant to tap cell phones using stingrays. The IRS also uses stingrays, though claims it only uses them in “certain criminal cases.”
Currently, nothing has been decided and no new resolutions have been passed. Use of these listening tools has been in the news for more than a year with the stingray coming to national prominence last September and reaching the notice of the U.S. Senate way back in January. RCR Wireless News will report more on this controversial story as it develops.
Regional/local tower news
- Verizon Wireless requests suspension of its cell tower permit application for local park in Snohomish, Wash.
- Residents fight cell tower plan in Salem, N.H.
- Taller cell tower gets Dumont, N.J., board’s OK.
- Approval for 120-foot cell tower near Casa Grande, Ariz.
- Cell tower may be coming to Auburn, N.Y.
- Sharon, N.Y.. cell tower gets OK.
- Monroeville, Penn., city council to consider mini-cell tower ordinance.
- Proposed cell tower in Queensbury, N.Y., would improve signal along Route 149.
- Clinton, Ill., council approves subdivision for cell tower.
- On the rise: cell tower requests increasing in Normal, Ill.
- Canada cell tower plan pits golf course members against arena users.
- Cranston, Calgary, residents oppose cell tower.
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