US Department of Justice planes reportedly mimicked cell towers to grab data

The US Department of Justice is reportedly using aircraft deployed with specialised electronic equipment to mimic cellphone towers and scoop up phone location and other data from users on the ground. The allegations, first reported by the Wall Street Journal, suggest that the US Marshals Service, which is an agency of the Department of Justice, has been flying Cessna aircraft outfitted with devices that mimic cell towers for seven years, collecting thousands of unique IDs and vast amounts of location data. According to the WSJ report, the Marshals Service planes operate from at least five metropolitan airports giving them enough...



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