


"This type of technology has been used in the past by foreign intelligence agencies here and abroad to target Americans, both U.S. In July, former FBI deputy director Tim Murphy told Newsweek that there's no doubt that IMSI catchers have been used illegally – at least, against the U.S. Recently, the technology's potential for misuse by criminals and foreign intelligence agencies has become more widely known. Cohen also said that the Commissioner's Office has not been made aware of Stingray use by other government departments or agencies.Į-mails sent to the Harris Corporation were not returned. If they were looking to use this type of technology, we would expect to be consulted." RCMP spokesperson David Falls said the agency " not release information pertaining to capabilities/tools as that can have an impact on our investigations."Īccording to Tobi Cohen, a spokesperson for the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada, "We have not been made aware by the RCMP of their use of this technology. The RCMP, in response to inquiries by journalists, has refused to confirm or deny whether Stingrays or other IMSI catchers have been used. It is also nearly impossible for most users, innocent or otherwise, to detect whether an IMSI catcher is being used. IMSI catchers are of particular concern to privacy groups because they capture data indiscriminately from all phones in a given area, many of which will not be the target of an investigation.

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Some agencies have attempted to hide their use of such technology from reporters and lawyers, going so far as to obscure references to IMSI catchers in court documents, for fear that criminals will learn how to evade such surveillance. In the U.S., the American Civil Liberties Union has identified 43 agencies in 18 states that own Stingrays, including the FBI, NSA and DEA.
