By Andrew Feinberg - 05/03/12 12:36 PM ET
Rep. Edward Markey (D-Mass.) is “deeply concerned” that the
law enforcement practice of tracking mobile phones with the help of carriers
“may violate the privacy rights" of customers.
Markey, who co-chairs the bipartisan Congressional Privacy
Caucus and could regain the chairmanship of the House telecommunications
subcommittee if Democrats retake the House in November, expressed his concerns
in a letter sent to executives at U.S. Cellular, Sprint Nextel, T-Mobile USA
Inc., Leap Wireless Inc./ Cricket Communications Inc., MetroPCS, Verizon
Communications Inc., AT&T, C Spire Wireless, and TracFone Wireless.
The letters were prompted by a New York Times article
that said law enforcement routinely tracks mobile phones “often with little or
no judicial oversight.”
The article also explains how wireless companies profit from
the practice by charging police departments for tracking and wiretapping
services.
“I am deeply concerned about possible privacy intrusions,
particularly in the absence of consumer knowledge or consent, or judicial
oversight,” Markey said.
Markey goes on to ask how many surveillance requests
AT&T has received over the past five years, how many were fulfilled or
denied and the reason for any denials.
“Information gleaned from mobile phone use should be
accessible for appropriate law enforcement purposes,” Markey said in a
statement.
"We need more information about current wireless
carrier practices in this area, including how firms may be profiting from
consumers’ personal data," he added.
The letters also ask about the procedures companies have in
place for processing law enforcement requests, such as whether the companies
ask to see a warrant before cooperating and whether they distinguish between
emergencies and routine requests.
Other questions concern how many employees are devoted to
law enforcement requests, whether companies help police obtain tracking
equipment of their own and how much money was earned as a result of charging
law enforcement for these types of services.
The Supreme Court recently ruled that law enforcement's
tracking of a person by GPS is unconstitutional without a warrant.
Had enough? Write to
the Speaker of the House, U.S. House
of Representatives, Washington, DC 20515 and demand federal hearings into the
police problem in America. Demand
mandatory body cameras for cops, one strike rule on abuse, and a permanent DOJ office on Police Misconduct.