Mobile Phone Data: Private or Not

I think this would fall under invasion of privacy. Although using it to track criminals would be nice there's still the Constitution the government has to abide by, or suppose to abide by. Any way a smart criminal would use a throw away phone and a dumb one is going to get caught any way.

The same old/new rules should apply. Govt should require a search warrant (or prior consent) to search. Companies should be able to access whatever data they make prior legal arrangements to collect.

(This is as modified by the Patriot Act, of course. And, just because the US government isn't allowed to sniff and collect data doesn't mean a "friendly" government doesn't collect the data and then provide it to the US. (I am only repeating speculation I've heard with that second point.))

It is already going on. Maybe these links will end the speculation:

http://m.guardian.co.uk/technology/2011/apr/20/iphone-tracking-prompts-privacy-fears?cat=technology&type=article

http://training.oreilly.com/iphoneforensics/

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/04/25/iphone-location-data-tracking_n_853147.html

http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-20055431-1.html#ixzz1K22YkoYK

Read'em and weep...

This information should be used but for criminal activity only and with a warrant. Our Constitution drafters could never have known what technology would be available in 2011 and hence could not write to accommodate it. Using the information for anything else IS a violation of the Constitution but that hasn't stopped the government from sticking their hands inside the pants of 7 year old girls in public at our airports.

OK - so criminals need an extra button their phone they have to press when making calls about anything illegal? Wouldn't want to have their 'personal' calls monitored.

The whining about airport inspections - don't fly. A right to fly is certainly not in the constitution.

Let them track - I could care less - and if I ever did care it would be easy to get around.

At the airport let them search - after a few million miles over the years I prefer to have some security in place.

I have no problem with airport security. I have a problem with insane runaway political correctness. This ridiculous mindset is what allows a middle aged person who perfectly fits the profile of a terrorist to walk through a scanner, while a 7 year old girl gets sexually assaulted. These policies are now illegal in Texas based on their new law. People who address these policies with the attitude "don't fly" are the very people responsible for our "political correctness". Israel profiles everyone who enters their airports. They openly smirk at how ridiculous our policies are, and rightly so. Their stated policy is "don't look for bombs, look for bombers".

I have no problem with profiling at all - first class tool.

Seeing as how I can't see that PC stuff changing anytime soon.

The Texas law - more than likely wouldn't stand in court - silly for states to get into that kind of stuff when you know what is going to happen.

I traveled with two guys from Argentina one time - 1996 I guess. Every airport one guy got the full treatment. We started to call him Pancho the Arab to tease him. I have stood in lines at airports and watched who gets selected for extra treatment - mostly people from overseas or with tickets bought overseas. Profiling is used - just not to the extent it needs to be.