Stingray:

Think your cellphone is secure? Think again.

Your phone’s location can be found with a Stingray device. The Stingray is a cellphone tower simulator. It can also interrupt your calls and text messages. While in use it can intercept data from a target phone as well as other phones in the area.

These devices can be very useful for criminals, but are also being used by the United States IRS. Back in October of this year, Koskinen told a Senate committee that IRS Stingrays are “only used in criminal investigations”.

According to a letter written to an Oregon Senator, the IRS director wrote that the Stingray has only been used in 11 grand jury investigations. 37 phones in total were tracked.

The IRS first got their hands on the Stingray device back in October of 2011. It is now in talks to obtain a second one.

A Warrant is Now Required:

Thankfully, the IRS will now be required to obtain a warrant before using the Stingray.

This just leads me to wonder. How many other ways is the government compromising our privacy without the use of a warrant?

What other ways could our privacy be compromised. Please leave a comment below: