'ping' raises legal questions

July 14, 2011, updated at 10: 39 GMT designated police officers can ask mobile networks to "ping" to the customer's home. A former news journalist of the newspaper world complaint paid police to track mobile phones raise serious questions about the laws of interception of United Kingdom, according to experts.

Sean Hoare said that it is possible to "ping" location of a phone for ￡ 300.

While there is no firm evidence to support the accusation, if true would weaken safeguards in the law on regulation of powers research.

The law describes a system of controls designed to prevent that abuse.

Police can ask mobile networks to determine the location of a phone, based on information from nearby radio antennas.

Only a handful of officers from each force is authorized to do such research and its applications should be approved by a senior colleague.

Poor compliance

The system is regulated and audited by the interception of Communications Commissioner, Sir Paul Kennedy.

In its latest report, Sir Paul is located at 10% of the cases where police bodies requested information from communications, there was poor compliance.

This control is based on a sampling of requests for police--something that leaves the system open to abuse, according to the lawyer, Simon McKay, author of a covert police: law and practice.

"Resources of the Commissioner empowered by law to review it are quite restrictive, they that circumstances dictate that a small proportion of the obtained authorizations never revised significantly or critically the Commissioner", he told BBC News.

Mr added McKay that would not be surprised if there were leaks in exchange for cash.

Continue reading the main story

Mobile networks have the ability to locate phones of its customers.

At a basic level, you can determine which cell is using the phone. In a city, which could limit-down location a few hundred metres. In the field could be several kilometers.

It is also possible to triangulate the position of a phone more precisely with its position on several masts.

In addition, many modern phones contain GPS technology to determine your exact latitude and longitude.

Mobile operators are reluctant to discuss exactly what level of detail that can provide to the authorities, although there are examples of police monitoring offenders, victims of accidents and persons who had disappeared on their mobile phones.

"Is usually treated with people who have experience in the use and implementation of covert police techniques, and which therefore, equips them especially well to minimize the risk of detection", said.Freedom Act

A new law is being examined by the Parliament - the protection of freedoms Bill - would require judicial approval for some revelations of research regulation Powers Act (RIPA), but not those requested by the police.

The BBC approached the Government to see if he planned to ask Sir Paul to discuss safeguards about police use of RIPA.

A spokesman for the Ministry of the interior said that it would not take such a measure before the Prime Minister had outlined in the terms of reference for your two questions on the scandal of hacking by phone.

Daniel Hamilton, director of the campaign group big brother Watch, said he was happy to wait, always eventually a revision.

"I would have preferred if steps had been taken earlier and intercepts were not used in a broad manner, but I think that makes sense now an investigation has been established and we have received assurances from the PM and the police to be a full investigation."

"I hope the end will be an opportune moment to review these processes", said.

View the original article here