Ice Spent $825k This Year On Vehicles With Imsi Catchers

US Immigration and Customs Enforcement paid $825,000 this twelvemonth for surveillance tech that tin spy connected adjacent mobile phones. TechCrunch identified nan contract, which "provides Cell Site Simulator (CSS) Vehicles to support nan Homeland Security Technical Operations program," successful nationalist records. This isn't nan first time ICE has utilized cell-site simulators, but nan agency has precocious drawn outcry for actions specified arsenic unlawfully detaining US citizens and using violence against journalists and protestors arsenic it carries retired nan migration enforcement ordered by President Donald Trump.

TechOps Specialty Vehicles supplied nan vehicles equipped pinch cell-site simulators, besides known arsenic IMSI-catchers, successful this statement pinch ICE. IMSI stands for "International Mobile Subscriber Identity," and is simply a unsocial identifier for each personification connected a cellular network. Cell-site simulators enactment arsenic clone cellular towers that tin eavesdrop connected immoderate mobile telephone successful nan adjacent area erstwhile a personification connects to nan existent cellular towers of their work provider.

There are progressive and passive versions of IMSI catchers. The passive ones are little intrusive, but nan progressive IMSI catchers tin intercept each information transferred from mobile phones arsenic good arsenic search nan phones' location. The TechCrunch study didn't uncover which type is being utilized by ICE. This surveillance tech tin besides interfere pinch a targeted phone's expertise to contact emergency services via 911, posing a information risk. It is besides arguable since it doesn't impact obtaining a warrant and tin expose guiltless bystanders' accusation to nan government.