US Government Audit Reveals Secret Service and ICE Ignored Rules on Using Cellular Simulators
The US Secret Service and Immigration and Customs Services (ICE) failed to comply with laws and official policies regarding the use of Cellular-Site Simulators (CSS), according to a government audit. CSS, also known as StingRays or IMSI Catchers, are electronic devices that mimic cell phone towers to intercept metadata or messages and track connected devices. Critics claim this violates protection against unreasonable searches and seizure of property. The Office of the General Inspector of the Department of Homeland Security conducted the audit, initially to examine agencies’ compliance with policies concerning cell phone and commercial database surveillance. The audit contained six recommendations to ensure legal monitoring.
The report recommended court orders acquire data from CSS, with exceptions for urgent incidents. However, both organizations often failed to comply. Analyst Matthew Guarilla, from the American non-profit human rights organization Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), expressed concerns regarding government institutions’ lack of attention to confidentiality and human rights. Guarilla requests the OIG to publish statistical data showing the frequency of CSS usage in investigations.