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(Tenth Amendment Center) A bill prefiled in the South Carolina House would ban the use of “stingray” devices to track the location of phones and sweep up electronic communications. The passage of the bill would not only protect privacy in the state; it would also hinder one aspect of the federal surveillance state.
Rep. Todd Rutherford (D-Richland) filed House Bill 3389 (H3389) on Dec. 8. The proposed law would ban South Carolina law enforcement agencies from purchasing or using cell-site simulators, commonly known as “stingrays.” These devices essentially spoof cell phone towers, tricking any device within range into connecting to the stingray instead of the tower. This allows law enforcement to sweep up communications content, as well as locate and track the person in possession of a specific phone or electronic device. Police often obtain and use stingray technology in complete secrecy and use it to track people and gather electronic data without a warrant.
In effect, H3389 would prohibit South Carolina law enforcement agencies from purchasing cell-site simulator technology or devices. Any police department that currently possesses or uses…
