Executive TL;DR:

• Surveillance vendors have been caught abusing access to telcos to track people’s locations.
• This has led to serious concerns about privacy and security.
• Law enforcement and governments are being called upon to take action.

The Buzz Score

The Internet’s Verdict: 70% Hyped, 30% Skeptical

Forum Voices

People are speaking out about their experiences with surveillance and tracking.

Yeah, a friend of mine was tracked by a stalker ex boyfriend who worked at a Telco. It was irritatingly difficult to avoid because it seemed he could look up her SIM card by name and then get her location no matter what (new SIM, new phone) Anyone who reports this kind of thing to the police just sounds irrational and crazy and gets ignored.

This is not an isolated incident. Others have shared similar experiences.

This is just par for the course in Russia. Government has telcos track people, and that data ends up available on the black market for anyone to purchase, for a fairly modest fee.

Expert Insights

Experts are weighing in on the issue, discussing the implications of this kind of surveillance.

Some have pointed out that companies with specialized telecom capabilities, like Israeli-based commercial geo-intelligence providers, are particularly good at these kinds of things.

Others have noted that this is a global issue, with many countries struggling to balance security and privacy concerns.

Focus Keyword: Surveillance Vendors