Mobile phone data retention

[Pigeon]

The nation’s major mobile-phone providers are keeping a treasure trove of sensitive data on their customers, according to a newly released Justice Department internal memo that for the first time reveals the data retention policies of America’s largest telecoms.

The single-page Department of Justice document, “Retention Periods of Major Cellular Service Providers,” (PDF) is a guide for law enforcement agencies looking to get information—like customer IP addresses, call logs, text messages and web surfing habits—out of US telecom companies, including AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile and Verizon.

The document, marked “Law Enforcement Use Only” and dated August 2010, illustrates there are some significant differences in how long carriers retain your data.

http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news ... ongest.ars

[Egg]

What's more is this is all constitutional.

[Pigeon]

The document release comes two months before the Supreme Court hears a case testing the government’s argument that it may use GPS devices to monitor a suspect’s every movement without a warrant. And the disclosure comes a month ahead of the 25th anniversary of the Electronic Privacy Communications Act, an outdated law that the government has invoked to obtain, without a warrant, the data the Justice Department document describes.

“I don’t think there there is anything on this list the government would concede requires a warrant,” said Kevin Bankston, a staff attorney with the Electronic Frontier Foundation. “This brings cellular retention practices out of the shadows, so we can have a rational discussion about how the law needs to be changed when it comes to the privacy of our records.”

[Egg]

When you throw out trash, the police can go through it. I mean, even in a city where there's only one way to really throw out trash.
You make phone calls, the police can get those numbers from the phone company - a la pen registry.

It goes on and on - I'm not surprised this is being held to be Constitutional.

[Pigeon]

The future for the young'uns will be a hoot. people will be digging up data from 30 years back that was entered on FB or a cell phone. Mud slinging as well as the defense position will be comedy act.

[Egg]

I read an article a few months back about how by the time you're in your 20s up to 30, you now need to change your identity as there's so much information out there for others to find about you.

[Pigeon]

The economy will be based on selling information on people, services to erase it and hacks to alter it.

[lkwalker]

Data retention, anal retention... same syndrome. I gotta say it didn't work out too well for Nixon. Either one.

[Dr Exile]

The nice long blank space in the tape was easy listening.

[lkwalker]

That was only 30 minutes free of shit. Hahahaha