OFF THE WIRE
WASHINGTON (AP) — Local authorities may be intercepting cell phone calls or text messages -- as part of an effort to find potential criminal suspects -- using a new technology tool known as 'Stingray,' officials said.
Stingray pretends it's a cell phone tower, while secretly giving details of a phone's location and information about calls and text messages. Police say it's useful for catching criminals, but civil liberties experts worry that it violates Americans' privacy.
Police will not disclose details about the technology, including contracts with Stingray's manufacturer, saying they are protecting police tactics and commercial secrets. And the details officials have agreed to release have been heavily redacted.
Revelations about surveillance programs run by the National Security Agency have driven debate since last summer on the balance between privacy and government intrusion.
