'Horrifying' leak reveals ICE 'stalkers' have access to Americans' cell phone data

[ancianita]

74. FOIA's aren't dealt with quickly & are challenged for "standing," so the FOIA argument doesn't hold for average citizens

These are other ways -- not available to the public -- ICE tracks phones.

Purchasing Commercial Location Data:
ICE buys vast amounts of aggregated location data from commercial data brokers to sidestep the need for a warrant. This data, gathered from millions of phones and mobile apps, can reveal historical and current locations of individuals across the U.S.. Tools like PenLink's Webloc and Babel Street's Locate X are used to access and analyze this information.

Cell Site Simulators (Stingrays):
ICE uses devices often referred to as "Stingrays" (like the Stingray II and a newer model called Crossbow). These devices act as fake cell towers, tricking phones in the vicinity into connecting with them, which allows ICE to pinpoint a specific phone's location.

Spyware and Hacking Tools:
The agency has contracts with companies like Paragon Solutions for spyware that can hack into phones and access data, including encrypted messages and location data. A tool called Graphite reportedly can gain complete access to a phone just by sending a message to the number, without the user needing to click a link.

Social Media and Web Scraping:
Tools like PenLink's Tangles and ShadowDragon's SocialNet scrape information from social media and public websites. This data is used to build detailed profiles of targets, linking their posting history, location history, photos, and social connections.

Biometric and Identification Apps:
ICE agents in the field use apps like Mobile Fortify which can identify individuals by pointing a phone's camera at their face and scanning against federal and state databases.

Mobile Device Analytics:
ICE utilizes tools from companies such as Cellebrite and Paragon to analyze the contents of mobile devices, often after they have been seized.