4 ms·

They could just as easily be jamming cell signals.

MertsA 10y ago
There's no way they would stoop that low. They can just as easily block service with a stingray and avoid causing interference for everything other than the target. There's also the issue that a jammer will also block 911 calls so I don't really see why the FBI or any domestic law enforcement would want a simple jammer instead of using a stingray to selectively block service. There's really only downsides to it when compared to using a cell site simulator.
- arca_vorago 10y ago
  "There's no way they would stoop that low." I'm not sure you are familiar with the history of the police state. Just when you think they won't go below a certain bar, then do. Why do you think, when performing any other manner of illegal and unconstitutional things, they wouldn't add one more to the list, especially when there seems to be no repercussions? I'm also reminded of occupy wall street, in which is was found out after the fact that: "Banks sat down with FBI officials to pool information about OWS protesters harvested by private security; plans to crush Occupy events, planned for a month down the road, were made by the FBI – and offered to the representatives of the same organizations that the protests would target; and even threats of the assassination of OWS leaders by sniper fire..." - Revealed: how the FBI coordinated the crackdown on Occupy - Naomi Wolf Much later we even found out the CIA had some involvement, and that's an organization which is not supposed to operate domestically! So, I think you are being naive in putting the abuse of zero-day cell exploits past them, especially when it might not even be the police forces themselves, any number of three-letters could just be seeing this as a good realistic training exercise to test out their latest toys.
  - MertsA 10y ago
    "Why do you think, when performing any other manner of illegal and unconstitutional things, they wouldn't add one more to the list, especially when there seems to be no repercussions?" Because there's just no incentive for them to use a jammer as opposed to a cell site simulator. With all of the news of government corruption I absolutely wouldn't assume that the government isn't doing something nefarious, but with corruption, it has to be driven by some incentive, there isn't really one here. "So, I think you are being naive in putting the abuse of zero-day cell exploits past them" I'm not saying that they wouldn't do this, just that they wouldn't ever bother with jamming specifically other than maybe for a bomb scare.
    - sitkack 10y ago
      What is your take on BART turning off cell service in the tunnels? https://www.aclu.org/blog/shutting-down-cell-service-during-protests-constitutional-dimension https://www.aclu.org/blog/shutting-down-cell-service-during-...
    - imchillyb 10y ago
      I believe your analysis to be flawed. Confusion and fear are the actual tools being utilized here. Blocking some service, and targeting others is exactly the type of attack that foments both fear and confusion.
      - MertsA 10y ago
        I was referring to a literal jammer as opposed to using a cell site simulator and null routing everyone's data. Using an actual jammer is simple and cheap but it's also illegal and I don't believe the FBI could use one outside of exigent circumstances.

There's no way they would stoop that low. They can just as easily block service with a stingray and avoid causing interference for everything other than the target. There's also the issue that a jammer will also block 911 calls so I don't really see why the FBI or any domestic law enforcement would want a simple jammer instead of using a stingray to selectively block service. There's really only downsides to it when compared to using a cell site simulator.

arca_vorago 10y ago
"There's no way they would stoop that low." I'm not sure you are familiar with the history of the police state. Just when you think they won't go below a certain bar, then do. Why do you think, when performing any other manner of illegal and unconstitutional things, they wouldn't add one more to the list, especially when there seems to be no repercussions? I'm also reminded of occupy wall street, in which is was found out after the fact that: "Banks sat down with FBI officials to pool information about OWS protesters harvested by private security; plans to crush Occupy events, planned for a month down the road, were made by the FBI – and offered to the representatives of the same organizations that the protests would target; and even threats of the assassination of OWS leaders by sniper fire..." - Revealed: how the FBI coordinated the crackdown on Occupy - Naomi Wolf Much later we even found out the CIA had some involvement, and that's an organization which is not supposed to operate domestically! So, I think you are being naive in putting the abuse of zero-day cell exploits past them, especially when it might not even be the police forces themselves, any number of three-letters could just be seeing this as a good realistic training exercise to test out their latest toys.
- MertsA 10y ago
  "Why do you think, when performing any other manner of illegal and unconstitutional things, they wouldn't add one more to the list, especially when there seems to be no repercussions?" Because there's just no incentive for them to use a jammer as opposed to a cell site simulator. With all of the news of government corruption I absolutely wouldn't assume that the government isn't doing something nefarious, but with corruption, it has to be driven by some incentive, there isn't really one here. "So, I think you are being naive in putting the abuse of zero-day cell exploits past them" I'm not saying that they wouldn't do this, just that they wouldn't ever bother with jamming specifically other than maybe for a bomb scare.
  - sitkack 10y ago
    What is your take on BART turning off cell service in the tunnels? https://www.aclu.org/blog/shutting-down-cell-service-during-protests-constitutional-dimension https://www.aclu.org/blog/shutting-down-cell-service-during-...
  - imchillyb 10y ago
    I believe your analysis to be flawed. Confusion and fear are the actual tools being utilized here. Blocking some service, and targeting others is exactly the type of attack that foments both fear and confusion.
    - MertsA 10y ago
      I was referring to a literal jammer as opposed to using a cell site simulator and null routing everyone's data. Using an actual jammer is simple and cheap but it's also illegal and I don't believe the FBI could use one outside of exigent circumstances.