Cell-site simulator that mimics cell towers to intercept mobile phone communications
A Stingray — technically an IMSI-catcher or cell-site simulator — is a surveillance device that mimics a cell phone tower, forcing nearby mobile phones to connect to it instead of a legitimate tower. Once connected, the device can identify all phones in the area, track their locations in real time, intercept calls and text messages, and in some configurations, inject malware or block communications.
Manufactured primarily by the Harris Corporation, Stingray devices have been deployed by the FBI, DEA, Secret Service, NSA, local police departments, and foreign governments. For years, law enforcement agencies concealed their use of the technology from courts and defendants, sometimes dropping cases rather than revealing that a Stingray had been used. The FBI required local police departments to sign non-disclosure agreements prohibiting them from acknowledging the devices' existence.
The secrecy surrounding Stingray use has profound implications for due process. Defendants have been convicted based on location evidence obtained through Stingrays without ever being told how the evidence was actually gathered — a form of parallel construction. The devices also collect data on every phone in range, sweeping up communications from thousands of innocent bystanders in the process.
