Feds 'Pinged' Sprint GPS Data 8 Million Times Over A Year∞
Sprint defends themselves, of course, but it’s still pretty unsettling. They actually have a web interface SPECIFICALLY for law enforcement to ping users’ GPS.
Slightly comforting are the limits imposed on when law enforcement can request user data.
There are four circumstances under which law enforcement agents can use the Sprint website and obtain GPS data: 1) under the authority of a court order; 2) to track the location of a customer who has made a 911 call; 3) in an emergency situation, such as tracking someone lost in the wilderness or trying to locate an abducted child or hostage; 4) with a customer’s consent.
On the other hand, a Sprint representative had this to say about the web interface:
So the tool has just really caught on fire with law enforcement. They also love that it is extremely inexpensive to operate and easy.
Yeah, that doesn’t make me feel all that great.
