The German security authorities are using cell phone data to locate suspects. This is a response from federal government to a small request from Left faction, which is available on Handelsblatt. Thus, protection of Constitution sends a lot more so-called silent SMS to places people. Accordingly, in second half of 2017, German domestic intelligence sent around 180,000 of such clandestine messages to mobile phones by suspects. In same period last year, authority used this investigative instrument for approximately 144,000 times.
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With silent SMS, security authorities can find out exactly where mobile phones are located and create motion profiles. The messages are not displayed on receiver’s display, but phone acknowledges arrival of SMS unnoticed. According to report, Federal Office (BKA) also uses investigation method more strongly: In last six months of year 2017, BKA has sent nearly 22,000 such text messages – more than four times as much as in same period last year.
In case of radio cell queries, monitoring has also been extended according to report. On request, network operator issues all mobile phone numbers that were posted at a particular cell at a certain time. In second half of year, BKA had made use of 2017 a total of 376 times, only once in previous year. The federal police use so-called Imsi-catcher to listen to telephone calls especially frequently – 61 times monitoring instrument was used last, just eight as often as 2016.
The left-wing MEP Andrei Hunko, who had asked small question, was concerned with Handelsblatt. “Cell phones are re to make a phone call, not to secretly track ir owners.” The actions of authorities reduce confidence in digital privacy immensely. Moreover, “digital Spitzelei” is hardly controllable.
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The police unions see greater use of digital surveillance technology as a normal development in face of challenge facing security authorities in face of globalisation, migration, digitisation and digital networking. “Today, re is almost no crime in which telecommunications would not matter,” said André Schulz, chairman of German Criminal Police (BDK), Handelsblatt. Thus, perpetrators did not only use a mobile phone today, y often exchanged ir SIM cards or mobile phones on a daily basis.
