by digby
I wonder how many more secret programs there are out there that nobody, not judges, not lawmakers not the people know about? This one isn't about terrorists. They say it's about killers and drug dealers:
The Justice Department is scooping up data from thousands of mobile phones through devices deployed on airplanes that mimic cellphone towers, a high-tech hunt for criminal suspects that is snagging a large number of innocent Americans, according to people familiar with the operations.
The U.S. Marshals Service program, which became fully functional around 2007, operates Cessna aircraft from at least five metropolitan-area airports, with a flying range covering most of the U.S. population, according to people familiar with the program.
This is a secret program, of course. Nobody knows if judges who sign warrants have any idea that this technology is being used. Nobody knows whether or not they're using it the way they say thy're using it. Because it's secret.
But never fear, they've assured us that they are only using it to catch bad guys.They have no interest in anything you might be doing. Well, unless you're doing something wrong. If you are an upstanding citizen there's little reason to worry that the police might be re-routing your phone calls without your knowledge right? Why should you care?
In fact, we really need to re-think that whole 4th Amendment thing altogether. When you think about it, you shouldn't object to the police ransacking your house and your car without any probable cause either. They could be looking for someone they know is in your neighborhood. If you have nothing to hide in your home why would you object? Sure, they might find something they think is suspicious in your house when they go on their fishing expedition but maybe you shouldn't have suspicious things in your house if you don't want the cops finding it, eh?
This is what we call liberty.
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