Using the law loopholes it turned out that the police had obtained "user's real-time location information" from the mobile phone carrier

byBernard Goldbach

Mobile phone location information service is used for map applications, car navigation applications, etc. It is a very convenient service. It is reported that such "user's real-time position information" was indirectly obtained by the police from major US mobile phone carriers.

US cell carriers are selling access to your real-time phone location data | ZDNet
https://www.zdnet.com/article/us-cell-carriers-selling-access-to-real-time-location-data/

Headquartered in CaliforniaLocationSmartThe technology company,AT & amp; T·Verizon Communications·T-Mobile US·SprintWe use data obtained from major mobile phone carriers in the United States like USA, and we are developing a service that understands users' real-time location information. In order to grasp the user's real-time position information, LocationSmart does not use GPS that consumes the battery of the mobile phone, but it is using three-point surveying using mobile phone base stations to determine the position. It seems that mobile phone carriers contracting with LocationSmart account for about 95% of mobile phones throughout the United States, and it is said that virtually all mobile terminals existing in the United States can be discovered practically.

Position information obtained by LocationSmart can purchase data or access data by other corporate customers paying fee and can use companies that use applications that operate in response to user location information, Banks wanting to deal with fraud using information got data. User location information data is useful for many companies, but LocationSmart does not mention how customers can prevent unauthorized use of data.

Meanwhile, we provide telephone service to inmates at American prisonSecurus TechnologiesIt is reported that you purchased location information from LocationSmart. Securus Technologies said that "Location information of any mobile phone could be tracked in just a few seconds," and that user location information data acquired by Securus Technologies has been used for police investigation .

byHamza Butt

Basically, you need to obtain user's consent by pop-up etc. when you provide an application that uses location information obtained by a company from LocationSmart. However, LocationSmart stated that in some cases "User's location information is obviously used due to the nature of the service", there are cases where you do not agree that you have installed an implicit consent from the user.

Also, instead of using location information for apps that directly interact with users, you simply do not need to get user consent each time you simply search for user location information data itself. As a result, Securus Technologies was in a state where users' location information could be retrieved in real time without being notified by users.

America'sElectronic Communication Privacy Act, It limits the communication company to disclose the user's data directly to the government but it does not restrict the communication company from disclosing the data to other companies. For this reason, companies such as Securus Technologies who obtained data indirectly from a telecommunications company say that disclosing data to government organizations like police does not touch the law. In addition, because of the nature that Securus Technologies is a company engaged in prison management in the US, it is said that it is a company deeply connected with the government.

In addition, when ZDNet writer of web media actually checked the accuracy of position information data using LocationSmart's "pre-trial service", it seems that almost correct position information was displayed.


Regarding the situation where the police used to obtain location information of people using the loopholes of the law,Federal Communications CommissionI am under investigation.