Cell phones are constantly sending out signals, or “pings,” that are picked up by the nearest transmission tower.(1) In the reverse direction, rescue and law enforcement authorities can determine the pinged cell phone user’s actual physical location when they cross-compare the phone ping’s distance from a number of different transmission towers. Emergency Origins The ability to isolate a cell phone user’s whereabouts based on that person’s cell phone ping pattern was originally developed for emergency response purposes. Theoretically, if an individual dialed 911 requesting assistance but could not provide their address, the pinging of that person’s cell phone could help fill in the blanks. However, the ping technique has morphed into a much more powerful and commonly used law enforcement tool. It is especially valuable when attempting to retrace the previous whereabouts of a prime criminal suspect. However, this archived information is only as good as a cell phone provider’s tower logs, and there are conflicting opinions on just how exhaustively this information is kept. Real-Time Tracking In the wake of 9/11, the sweeping powers given to the U.S. government have empowered federal officials to routinely request information about an active subscriber from that person’s cell phone service provider.(2) In [...]
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