MuckRock: Help investigate cell phone snooping by police nationwide‏

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This is a good idea.  We need lots of data on topics like this to enable people to make informed decisions.  In addition, although individuals may not be interested in this specific topic, gathering information from numerous states and counties and towns can be used for other projects.

Dwight Hines

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Hi,

Right now, we're gearing for MuckRock's biggest investigative project yet, and we need your help. First, a little context.

Local police departments across America are increasingly tapping into information from your cell phone: Your location, who you're with, who you are calling. Using fake cell phone towers, often called Stingrays, they generally don't even need a warrant, and have relatively few restrictions on who, when, and what they collect. Or how they use it. Since these programs are often funded by federal grants,  very few people outside of law enforcement know how, or even if, they're being used, with almost non-existent debate about if this information should be collected, and what limits should be set for for how it's used or how long it's kept.

This is where you come in. We're launching this project on Beacon Reader, where a donation of just $5, about what it costs for us to successfully file a request, can make a big difference. Just like with the Drone Census, often times MuckRock is the *only* group asking for this information, which otherwise would never be made public.

You can support the project at this link, and, again, even just $5 can make a huge difference:

http://muckrock.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=74862d74361490eca930f4384&id=57a3f1fbe4&e=0fc89a6e54

If you're not in a position to help financially, we would still really appreciate your help — share what we're up to with your friends, sending in news articles you see or tips regarding cell phone tracking, and, in a few days, sending in information regarding which departments you'd like us to file with through a special page on MuckRock.

Thanks for all your support in the past, and we're looking forward to working with you to shine a light on this under-reported area.

Thanks,
Michael
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MuckRock
135 William T Morrissey Blvd ‎
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