Add to del.icio.us     Digg this

Apr. 29, 2009

More and more today, police, the FBI and various law enforcement agencies are using mobile phone technology in its pursuit of wiretaps, as the average U.S. citizen increasingly relies on a cell phone to communicate, even in criminal cases.

Interestingly, a good number of mobile phone users today still think that talking on a cell phone is safer than a landline.

A report issued Apr. 27 shows that over 93.9 percent of all wiretaps performed last year were for a mobile device carried by an individual, such as a pager or mobile phone.

In the U.S. alone, there were a total of 1,891 wiretap applications made to federal and state judges to authorize the interception of wire, oral or electronic communications last year.

Most of the wiretaps are commonly used in drug investigation cases. About 83.9 percent of the applications said a drug offense was the most serious offense being investigated. Other causes included homicide or assault, racketeering or gambling crimes.

The Annual Wiretap Report by the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts shows that traditional fixed locations like homes, businesses and even pay phones now account for just a small fraction of the wiretaps requested.

Last year, wiretaps performed in the U.S. resulted in 4,133 arrests and 810 convictions.

The report doesn't include terrorism wiretaps or those that involve a consenting party involved in the conversation, since those cases are treated differently.

Add to del.icio.us     Digg this

    This article was featured on Business 5.0 and on Tech Blog.

Source: AWR.