Internal Revenue Service Commissioner John Koskinen made a shocking admission earlier this week when called to testify before the House: For years, the IRS has been developing and using top secret, suitcase-sized devises to monitor American citizens.
Now, two top senators – Chuck Grassley, R-IA and Patrick Leahy are, D-VT – are demanding answers. Who could the IRS be spying on, and why?
Civil libertarians and privacy advocates have long expressed concern about these suitcase-size devices, known as Stingrays, which mimic cell-towers to scoop up electronic data that can be used to locate nearby phones and identify their owners.
Federal law enforcement officers are required to get a warrant signed by a judge before using Stingrays, except under emergency “exigent circumstances” meeting the constitutional standard for probable cause under the Fourth Amendment, but when there is no time to get a warrant.
Current policy lets some government agencies use Stingrays in “exceptional circumstances” without meeting the legal threshold for probable cause.
“We were surprised to learn that IRS investigators may be using these devices,” Grassley and Leahy said in a letter. “Cell-site simulators mimic cell towers, forcing cell phones in the area to convey their approximate location and registration information.”
The letter continues “While the devices can be useful tools for identifying the location of a suspect’s cell phone or identifying an unknown cell phone, we have previously expressed concerns about the privacy implications of these devices… The devices indiscriminately gather information about the cell phones of innocent people who are simply in the vicinity of the device.”
Privacy groups and some lawmakers have raised alarms about the secrecy surrounding the use and the collection of cellphone information of innocent bystanders who happen to be in a particular neighborhood or location.
The Associated Press contributed to this article
It’s odd that if they can capture emails and phone calls, how are the muslim terrorists able to get past them? Are they just honing in on the civilized patriotic American citizens, and if they are, what a waste of time and resources, and what idiots we have in government!?
Dear President Obama
It was you who told an Islamic dinner – “I am one of you.”
It was you who on ABC News referenced – “My Moooslim faith.”
It was you who gave $100 million in U.S. taxpayer funds to re-build foreign mosques.
It was you who wrote that in the event of a conflict -“I will stand with the Moooslims.”
It was you who assured the Egyptian Foreign Minister that – “I am a Moooslim.”
It was you who bowed in submission before the guardian of Mecca, the Saudi King of Islam, but not to the British Queen, head of the Christian Church of England.
It was you who sat for 20 years in a Liberation Theology Church condemning Christianity and professing Marxism.
It was you who exempted Moooslims who adhere to Sharia Law from penalties under ObamaCare that the rest of us have to pay.
It was you who purposefully omitted “endowed by our Creator” from your recitation of The Declaration Of Independence.
It was you who mocked the Bible and Jesus Christ’s “Sermon On The Mount” while repeatedly referring to the “HOLY” Quran.
It was you who traveled the Islamic world apologizing for the United States Of America.
And it was Americans who voted him in when they KNEW he was a Muslim!!
Simple. They’re smart enough to not use trigger words, and chat about anything they like while the snoops paw through “how do you spell ‘Osama'” and “that jerk acts like a Muslim terrorist” and other perfectly innocent communications.
All I can say is Trump to that.
Any form of electronic communications is likely to be intercepted, analyzed and recorded by the government. You should plan accordingly when you communicate or store data.
Cell phones are the 21st century version of a tracking collar. You may not keep track of your movements but the government does.
One comment . . . Big Brother is watching you! In this case, listening to you.
Oh, he watches, too.
The recent presidential debate debacle hosted by a NBC affiliate is an insult to the body politic of entire citizenry of this nation; the NBC should be accountable for it’s lack of judgement for this loss of it’s “moral compass” regarding this serious lack of judgement regarding the juvinile behavior and lack of professional judgement on the part of those who manged and conducted this public debate in a Colorado media outlet broadcast to the entire nation during a “prime-time” broadcast! Shame should be heaped on the NBC!
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I think you’re commenting on the wrong article.
ditto, above exponentially!
AND ALL WE DO IS TALK INSTEAD OF ORGANIZING AND UNIT AND TAKE BACK OUR COUNTRY ARMED OR PROTEST OR BOTH ,DEMAND THIS STOP WE THE AMERICAN PEOPLE ARE BEING HELD HOSTAGE BY OUR EVIL GOV !!!
WHO WILL START THIS OFF ?? TRUMP IS ON OUR SIDE ,MAYBE HE COULD HELP GET IT STARTED SO WE CAN GET OUR COUNTRY BACK SOONER !!!! HOPE ITS TRUMP /CRUZ TICKET WE NEED TO STAND UP NOW !!! NOT LATTER