Home / Police refuse to confirm major purchases are rights violating devices

Police refuse to confirm major purchases are rights violating devices

The BC Civil Liberties Association has confirmed that both the RCMP and Vancouver Police Departments have made major purchases from Dyplex Communications, the Canadian distributor for Datong, manufacturers of a futuristic communications interception device that can shut down cell phone service, act as a mobile cell tower and intercept phone messages, and build lists of all unique cell phone identifiers over a four block area. Both police agencies have refused to confirm whether or not they have purchased the device. The OPP has also refused to confirm whether they have a similar device. The Metropolitan Police in London, England have confirmed they have the device.

“Secrecy is often a feature of police investigations,” said Robert Holmes, Q.C., Executive Board Member of the BCCLA. “But tracking people without a warrant through their cell phones, intercepting their calls without their knowledge or the need for cooperation of a phone company, and having the power to arbitrarily suspend all cell phone use in an area, amount to serious invasions of privacy and freedom of individuals and we think those kinds of police tactics are wrong.”

Under previous versions of proposed lawful access legislation, mobile phone companies had to provide the name and address of a mobile phone subscriber without a warrant when police provided the IMEI/IMSI identifier from a phone. Most cell phone companies provide this information without a warrant anyway. This new device could permit police to capture all of the unique identifiers of individuals at a large protest, submit them to the phone company, and build a list of everyone who was at an event or rally.

“We would not tolerate police stopping everyone on the way in to a political rally or a protest, demanding their ID, and building a master list of who attended,” said Holmes. “We would not allow it in person, and we should not allow it through new technologies. If the police have these devices, they need strong policies and accountability mechanisms to ensure that they are not abused. But we can’t even talk about policies because the police won’t admit they have the devices in the first place.”

Click here to read the correspondence from the BCCLA to the RCMP, VPD and OPP >>

CIVIL LIBERTIES CAN’T PROTECT THEMSELVES