Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., sent a letter to Attorney General Jeff Sessions urging the Justice Department to be more forthright about Stingray devices after learning they may interfere with 911 Emergency Services.
Last month, Wyden asked the Federal Communication’s Commission (FCC) about the device’s interference with emergency services citing the agency’s jurisdiction over the technology. This month the Senator informed Sessions of some of his findings during research into the devices and emergency services.
“Senior officials from Harris Corporation-the manufacturer of the cell-site simulators used most frequently by the U.S. law enforcement agencies have confirmed to my office that Harris’ cell-site simulators completely disrupt the communications of targeted phones for as long as the surveillance is ongoing,” Sen. Wyden wrote. “According to Harris, targeted phones cannot make or receive calls, send, or receive text messages or send or receive any data over the Internet.”
