Traditionally it has been the content of communication that has been
the focus of government surveillance but the police are increasingly
interested in data mining techniques to uncover patterns of
association. Simple data, when stored, aggregated and analyzed using
sophisticated computer algorithms, contains far more information than
is commonly appreciated. Collating mobile phone numbers, and the data
retained by network providers, can provide the police with a powerful
incite into our networks of associations. This is not only an invasion
of our privacy but may also threaten our ability to work together
effectively.
the focus of government surveillance but the police are increasingly
interested in data mining techniques to uncover patterns of
association. Simple data, when stored, aggregated and analyzed using
sophisticated computer algorithms, contains far more information than
is commonly appreciated. Collating mobile phone numbers, and the data
retained by network providers, can provide the police with a powerful
incite into our networks of associations. This is not only an invasion
of our privacy but may also threaten our ability to work together
effectively.
At least years climate camp the police were taking people phone from
them during stop and search. As well as browsing through people
phonebooks and text messages, they were typing *#06# to get the phones
unique serial number (IMEI). They would then look up the registered owner of
phone then threaten the holder of the phone with being arrested on suspicion of theft if they refused to prove that they were the owner of the phone by revealing their identity.
To reduce the ability of the police to steal our identities and learn
more about our social networks, please consider the following advice.
Mobile phones are useful tools for communicating and organising - we do not advise you to leave them at home. You will find them essential for staying informed and informing others. However...
Copy the entries in your phonebook and leave it at home.
Delete from your phonebook all but the numbers that will be essential during the week.
Rename those contacts to remove surnames, perhaps using code names instead.
Erase your sent and received call logs and text messages and do repeat this regularly.
Make use of the security features of your phone so that a PIN code is required to access any of its features.
There are generally two types of security on mobile phones, the PIN that protects the phone and PIN2 that protects the SIM card so it can't be used in another phone without the code. It may be a little inconvenient to have to type in the number each time but it's better than allowing the cops to browse through your phone book, call logs and messages.
If you can't set your phone to require a PIN code each time it is used, simply switch off your phone when it looks like a police stop and search is likely.
them during stop and search. As well as browsing through people
phonebooks and text messages, they were typing *#06# to get the phones
unique serial number (IMEI). They would then look up the registered owner of
phone then threaten the holder of the phone with being arrested on suspicion of theft if they refused to prove that they were the owner of the phone by revealing their identity.
To reduce the ability of the police to steal our identities and learn
more about our social networks, please consider the following advice.
Mobile phones are useful tools for communicating and organising - we do not advise you to leave them at home. You will find them essential for staying informed and informing others. However...
Copy the entries in your phonebook and leave it at home.
Delete from your phonebook all but the numbers that will be essential during the week.
Rename those contacts to remove surnames, perhaps using code names instead.
Erase your sent and received call logs and text messages and do repeat this regularly.
Make use of the security features of your phone so that a PIN code is required to access any of its features.
There are generally two types of security on mobile phones, the PIN that protects the phone and PIN2 that protects the SIM card so it can't be used in another phone without the code. It may be a little inconvenient to have to type in the number each time but it's better than allowing the cops to browse through your phone book, call logs and messages.
If you can't set your phone to require a PIN code each time it is used, simply switch off your phone when it looks like a police stop and search is likely.
Comments
Hide the following 10 comments
PAYG SIM cards
23.07.2008 22:05
Depending on the amount of security you're after, it could be worth getting a PAYG SIM card just for demos but you've got to make sure that numbers are stored to the card rather than the phone's internal memory.
MonkeyBot 5000
@MonkeyBot 5000
24.07.2008 08:57
The best approach is to buy a PAYG phone with cash and only top it up with vouchers bought with cash, and use that alongside your regular phone. However you can't get away from the fact that it is still a location-tracking device. If you have special need to be careful - and that's a personal judgement - only put the battery in when you are away from your house to collect messages or to make calls. That said if you live in a highly populated area - such as flats in a city - then you have less reason to worry - the location tracking is not very sensitive AFAIK and it's a right royal pain for the authorities to get the data. If you're a Climate Camp activist and not part of a terrorist cell then it's probably too much hassle for them.
It should be obvious but also be careful when sending personally-identifiable information in text messages - telephone numbers, addresses, email addresses, account numbers etc. In theory the same goes for voice content as software now can transcribe voice content quite reliably - however this often can't be avoided and the best thing to do is not to worry about it too much. Remember: our worrying is what some upper echelons of the police want!
Ultimately for the activist there is a anti-surveillance/convenience trade-off. Don't get paranoid as this makes you less effective in your chosen field. Be careful but, unless you are doing activism that is targetted for the harshest oppression, tolerate a bit of surveillance rather than re-organising your habits completely to avoid it.
Just my tuppence worth...
Jon
Another 2 cents worth
24.07.2008 09:38
If you can, bring a new PAYG phone, don't fill it with your friends numbers, don't use it from home and don't call your mum on it.
Don't ever put your normal SIM in your new phone or your new SIM in your normal phone.
Use the phone at the climate camp to:
keep the legal team informed about arrests and stop & searches
keep the media team informed about protests and actions
keep yourself informed about things going on around camp and beyond
call for help in a medical emergency
one2one
Wifi and Bluetooth
24.07.2008 10:34
a) They thought we might use our naughty hacking skills to steal data from their officers smartphones etc
b) They were planning on trying to steal data off our phones and didn't want to confuse the issue by including their officers in the data mining.
c) They didn't want the police and protesters playing wifi enabled two player games against each other.
Make of this as you will but be aware that even the most basic bluetooth snarfing, which can be carried out by anyone, is capable of exposing peoples names or nicknames and rough proximity.
Best turn it off.
overheard
Leave them at home.
24.07.2008 13:20
Mobile phones can be triangulated very easily and quickly. This is successful and accurate to within 50 metres. Switch off and take battery out to be certain of outwitting them.
They can examine mobile phones forensically and any calls, texts, whatever, can be retrieved this way. I don't know how long they can go back but it is days at least and I suspect much more.
Look at Virgin Pay as you go. SIM cards are cheap and they don't insist you register them. Minimum top up is £5 so you can ditch them frequently.
My advice would be to leave at home, or buy a new SIM card just for use there and ditch it afterwards.
Voice of experience
Contrary advice
25.07.2008 07:47
True, but irrelevant. If you were going out on a mid night mission to torch a slaughter house then you'd certainly want to leave your phone at home rather than leave evidence of your trip for the police to find in the data stored by your mobile phone company. But we are talking about spending a week in a field with taking part in workshops, skill sharing and a publicly advertise mass action. The police will know you are there. They will film, stop and search everyone attending. If for some reasons you don't want them to know you are attending then you should stay at home.
> They can examine mobile phones forensically and any calls, texts, whatever, can be retrieved this way. I don't know how long they can go back but it is days at least and I suspect much more.
True. All text messages, and data about calls what calls were made, received or attempted, along with information about what cells were in range at any given time, are retained by the mobile phone companies for several years. That's the law. However, we are not talking about some kind of special forces investigation into a terror suspect with links to smuggler of uranium, we are talking about board cops hassling people for a week along a stretch of country road and pissing people off by trying to extract information they have no right to,
> My advice would be to leave at home, or buy a new SIM card just for use there and ditch it afterwards.
My advice would be to seek better advice. Putting a new PAYG SIM in your phone is a handy way to leave your phonebook at home but does nothing to address the other issues raised by the overly paranoid commenter. All phones transmit a unique serial number, along with the SIM number, whenever they communicate with a cell repeater. Putting a new SIM in just adds another SIM to those already associates with your phone and the data readily cross referenced by anyone interested in your communications.
My advice would therefore be, DO TAKE A PHONE WITH YOU to climate camp, you will find it very useful. If you can afford it, take a new PAYG phone with a new SIM. If you can't do that, follow the advice given at the start of this thread: delete the contents of your addressbook (leave a copy at home), delete the call register and stored text messages, and set up the PIN security to prevent the cops casually browsing through your phone while they search you.
freaky too
Too much 007 stuff as usual
25.07.2008 12:59
Grow up for fucks sake
get a grip people
Too much 007. . . I think not
25.07.2008 14:52
To suggest that being aware of current police tactics is `Too much 007` shows a level of, at best innocence at worst ignorance that has sunk many a ship! Perhaps we should wake up to the real and present danger we continue to face from the `Insecurity Services` Let us not forget that it is also possible with the right software to make a mobile into a rather effective tracking and listening device. This is not 007 its 2008, so wake the flup up.
No pas aran !
Ivor Point
gripage
27.07.2008 16:39
The cops using it have naff all interest in your nearest pizza house and are looking for mismatched IMEIs, if you block it they will have to wonder why, and then you might get lifted for suspected theft, then your off the demo and they get overtime, they win you loose.(the papers will record "arrested for suspected theft", nothing else, no one will know about the demo, message lost,no public sympathy)
Triangulation is a power ONLY used in two cases, ONE terror suspects as we would all rather avoid getting blown up if we can help it. TWO missing persons, i.e kids and vulnerable persons. They have to get the authorization of a very high ranking cop to do it, and it all gets logged for public scrutiny.
As to data theft.......far too Jason Bourne
sorry for bubbles burst
Harry Purvis
public scrutiny
28.07.2008 09:36
It may all get logged, but this is not for public scrutiny.
If the public can scrutinise this stuff, to check that it is being done properly, then "Harry" will be able to point us to a web site, or report, where we, the public, can do our scrutinising. He can't point us to a web site, or a report, because there is none.
There is a "wise man", or rather there are several "wise men". All are employed by the government, provided with terms and conditions by the government and report to the government. The amount of scrutiny they provide is limited. If Indymedia is doing links these days their reports are available at www.ipt-uk.com/default.asp?sectionID=16 for those who want to read them. If Indymedia is not doing links then search for the Investigatory Powers Tribunal. Decide for yourself how much scrutiny the public do, but I will be very surprised if your answer is anything other than "none".
Remember this when reading the rest of Harry Roberts posting.
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