Re: [Discuss-gnuradio] gnuradio C++ engineer wanted

[Eric Blossom]

On Thu, Jan 31, 2008 at 09:13:48AM -0600, Jeff Brower wrote:
> Toby-
> 
> > I hope no one minds me putting this up here:
> 
> I took a look at the Path Intelligence website.  It's actually the case that 
> you
> would track individuals to within a few meters using their cellphones without 
> their
> knowledge?  What about privacy concerns?  It's one thing to be monitored by 
> security
> video in "expected" places (entrances, store isles, ATMs, etc), it's another 
> to be
> tracked.

<cypherpunk-rant>

With GSM, at least as far as the specs read, you wouldn't expect
personally identifiable information in the clear.  You would expect to
be able to see a TMSI (temporary mobile subscriber ID).  Now, like
many big systems, what's on the air, and what's in the specs may 
differ.

>From a reality-based point of view, if you are carrying a cell phone,
and it's powered up, you are in fact carrying a locator device.  How
do you suppose they make your phone ring?

There is a reason some folks prefer pagers.


You may enjoy reading up on the "Enhanced 911 System" E-911.  It
mandates that cell phones in the US be locatable to within X meters
under particular conditions.  There are two obvious ways this can be
done: (1) your phone has a GPS receiver (or part of a GPS receiver) in
it and thus has to cooperate to reveal your location, or (2) some kind
of third party geolocation system is used to locate you without your
phone's overt cooperation.  The E-911 stuff was passed under the "If
it saves only one person's life..." rationale.  For additional fun,
dig up the testimony of the FBI director during the CALEA procedings.
Basically he said, "We don't want the location info, just the call
setup info."  A cynic might say he got what he "didn't want" by way of
the E-911 "safety" regulations.

Don't want to be tracked?  Don't use a cell phone.

Eric

Today's meditation:  
  If your cell phone is "off" and it's got a battery in it, is it really "off"?

</cypherpunk-rant>