your cell phone can be located even when turned off

[Asiantravel]

If you really do want to have every single trace of you lost, then you might like to think about living under ground for the rest of your life, or up a mountain in Outer Mongolia. The chances are that you will be found anyhow. It turns out that the National Security Agency of the US can actually locate your cell phone even when it has been turned off and is no longer emitting a signal.

It was previously believed by people that you could only locate the last emitted signal and if turned off, then that signal was lost. Your last known whereabouts could only be found. Now, it seems that that’s not true. In Back-to-the Future-Flash-Gordon style, the NSA has gone beyond the bounds of technology, pushed the boat all the way out and they can find us even when you power down your phone. Is there no peace for the wicked, honestly? An even less peace for the honest, wickedly!

http://www.tothetick.com/nsa-and-phones

Edited July 26, 2013 by Asiantravel

[rubberduck]

Far as I followed this it is still not clear how they do it, don't know if I should believe it or not. Only thing I'm sure of I am deamericanizing my internet behaviour, all that megacompanies need to be boycotted, just my new principle, boycott everything American. They deserve it because they are unreliable and fool the people became normal for them. Everything European is better in any case, GMX mail (german) versus Gmail, Wuala (swiss) versus Dropbox etc.

German Minister: Drop Google, Facebook To Avoid U.S. Spying

Only American brands I love are Leatherman, Maglite and Jack Daniels, bur for the internet I don't want them anymore

Edited July 26, 2013 by rubberduck

[GirlDrinkDrunk]

hardly news

[lomatopo]

boycott everything American.

except....

Leatherman, Maglite and Jack Daniels

You're funny.

Seriously though, the NSA has chips in your tool, your flashlight and your bottle o' JD.

And let me guess, you used a credit card to pay for these items.

Edited July 27, 2013 by Phil Conners
Fixed botched quote

[Somtamnication]

Correct. The only viable way is what the yahoos out in the Middle East do, that is, remove the battery after every phone call.

[bhthai]

my iphone was Lost..or stolen a few days ago and I can't find it on the tracker becasue it hasn't been turned on. the only question is how do we get NSA to track it for us

[Dancealot]

hardly news

Agreed;

This as well?

[dighambara]

hardly news

Exactly..!! Testing was done in Europe decades and published worldwide. Cell phones are not secure and can be tracked anywhere.

There are even on-line programs that allow anyone to track any number's location and backtrack to where that phone has been.

So, if you are cheating on your 'significant other' don't take your cell phone with you...LOL

[isawasnake]

This has been thoroughly covered in every season of 24. Take the battery out or smash the phone, turning it off does no good

[rijb]

Far as I followed this it is still not clear how they do it, don't know if I should believe it or not. Only thing I'm sure of I am deamericanizing my internet behaviour, all that megacompanies need to be boycotted, just my new principle, boycott everything American. They deserve it because they are unreliable and fool the people became normal for them. Everything European is better in any case, GMX mail (german) versus Gmail, Wuala (swiss) versus Dropbox etc.

German Minister: Drop Google, Facebook To Avoid U.S. Spying

Only American brands I love are Leatherman, Maglite and Jack Daniels, bur for the internet I don't want them anymore

ThaiVisa runs on American software. Goodbye.

[OldChinaHam]

I also do not understand this. If your cell phone is turned off, and the battery is out, then there is no RF frequency being emitted.

But if your battery is still in the phone, then the cell phone will continue to contact the antenna in the cell, what ever cell are available, and if you have one two or better yet three, then you can triangulate and find the geographical position.

The reason I do not understand this is that it seems obvious.

If you remove the battery, then the phone cannot be located by the cell antenna.

It could be located by a bloodhound perhaps, but I think that is it.

Edited July 27, 2013 by OldChinaHam

[Gomyway]

For some informations look here: https://prism-break.org/

[GrantSmith]

Good to see the tin foil hat brigade are active bright and early this morning

[OldChinaHam]

Good to see the tin foil hat brigade are active bright and early this morning

This does seem convoluted.

Maybe the brigade could just keep their cell phones in a copper box.

Or what about a copper mesh box if you wanted to be able to read the screen through the mesh but also wanted the phone to not be tracked or located even while you have the battery in, and the phone powered on, in standby mode.

[Gomyway]

Maybe you don't only care about your cell phone, if you own a new modern car equipped with electronics you'll maybe take a look at this too.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/andygreenberg/2013/07/24/hackers-reveal-nasty-new-car-attacks-with-me-behind-the-wheel-video/

[technologybytes]

Certainly for 99% of phones they CAN NOT be tracked when they are switched off. If you were on the run from government agents then sure you would remove the battery or even smash up the phone, but for the rest of us... relax. OFF is off, ON is on.

[nakhonandy]

Take the battery out if you are that paranoid, they can't track it then.

If you are not an international terrorist/criminal why would you care anyhow?

[jackflash]

If the phone is truly off, it cannot be tracked.

However the issue is that some modern phones are actually "On" when they appear to be "Off"

So many functions of a smart phone use network data. Think about email and messaging, etc.

Even the GPS function can use network data when the phone is supposedly Off.

Plus there are other transmitters inside a modern phone beside the phone itself, eg Bluetooth, Wifi, etc.

Like the man said, take the battery out

Edited July 27, 2013 by jackflash

[nosatisfaction]

boycott everything American.

except....

Leatherman, Maglite and Jack Daniels

You're funny.

Seriously though, the NSA has chips in your tool, your flashlight and your bottle o' JD.

And let me guess, you used a credit card to pay for these items.

I only pay cash, use prepaid, nobody knows who I am and drink Mezkal with illegally imported worm, just to make sure.

problem is: cash is running out, so I'll have to use some creditcard, what can I say, what can I do?

[nosatisfaction]

my iphone was Lost..or stolen a few days ago and I can't find it on the tracker becasue it hasn't been turned on. the only question is how do we get NSA to track it for us

sponsor them with a few dollars or JD

[Chicog]

Far as I followed this it is still not clear how they do it, don't know if I should believe it or not. Only thing I'm sure of I am deamericanizing my internet behaviour, all that megacompanies need to be boycotted, just my new principle, boycott everything American. They deserve it because they are unreliable and fool the people became normal for them. Everything European is better in any case, GMX mail (german) versus Gmail, Wuala (swiss) versus Dropbox etc.

German Minister: Drop Google, Facebook To Avoid U.S. Spying

Only American brands I love are Leatherman, Maglite and Jack Daniels, bur for the internet I don't want them anymore

ThaiVisa runs on American software. Goodbye.

Explains things.

[harrry]

I just program my cell phone to say I am not home when they check.

[Justincase]

Well how can they give you the premium Big Brother controlled Service without it - Thank you NSA !!

[55Jay]

boycott everything American.

except....

Leatherman, Maglite and Jack Daniels

You're funny.

Seriously though, the NSA has chips in your tool, your flashlight and your bottle o' JD.

And let me guess, you used a credit card to pay for these items.

I only pay cash, use prepaid, nobody knows who I am and drink Mezkal with illegally imported worm, just to make sure.

problem is: cash is running out, so I'll have to use some creditcard, what can I say, what can I do?

Quit expensive imports. Try Hong Thong and drop in one of those small, brown millipedes from the garden, or a nice juicy maggot.

When you get really hard up, there's always Lao Khao, cash and carry, credit cards not accepted.

[alant]

I really like all of this stuff the NSA can reportedly do, eavesdropping and snooping on the billions of people who daily use the internet and the mobile phone networks. No one is safe! No place is safe!

BUT why oh why did it take so long to track down Bin Laden, I mean we are talking years here, years.

And why did they not know about Private Bradley Manning until after the event, so close to home but they didn't spot him. What about Snowden? No not the mountain in Wales the other guy the Americans think has been fast and lose with the nations information.

I have to wonder if the technology purchased to carry out all of this information gathering actually does what it says on the box?

After all there is at least 1 Brit who became quite wealthy by selling toy bomb detectors to government agencies, maybe he sold the US this tech...

It must be something like this, there is no way it could be a lack of competence.

[Phil Conners]

Far as I followed this it is still not clear how they do it, don't know if I should believe it or not. Only thing I'm sure of I am deamericanizing my internet behaviour, all that megacompanies need to be boycotted, just my new principle, boycott everything American. They deserve it because they are unreliable and fool the people became normal for them. Everything European is better in any case, GMX mail (german) versus Gmail, Wuala (swiss) versus Dropbox etc.

German Minister: Drop Google, Facebook To Avoid U.S. Spying

Only American brands I love are Leatherman, Maglite and Jack Daniels, bur for the internet I don't want them anymore

I also prefer Wuala over Dropbox, but I'm not sure I can agree with GMX over Gmail, unless you was only referring to security, and I'm not sure how important that is, email is by design no more secure than an open postcard. Ok some people tell me Gmail have some automatic systems reading my mail and sending me targeted ads. Good luck to them, I've never seen one, maybe the adblock plugin has something to do with that.

In fairness, I haven't looked at GMS for years so I just signed up for an email account with them to have a look. Come on, how can you compare that interface with Gmail? It so 2000.

And please tell me how I can use it with my own domain name such as I currently do with Gmail (Google Apps, yes I know they've restricted the free access to that now, but I still have a grandfathered original free GA account).

[Suradit69]

hardly news

Something tells me that the NSA is among the vast number of people and organizations who don't really want to find me and half the time when I go out I forget to take my phone anyway.

[hansnl]

OK, here we go.................

If you want to use your mobile and make rather certain you can not be found, only switch on for a few minutes, max 4-5, less is better.

If you can do, do not send SMS, at all.

And of course disable internet, mobile internet is very "open"

When ready, switch off the mobile, take out the battery AND the chip.

[hawker9000]

Take the battery out if you are that paranoid, they can't track it then.

If you are not an international terrorist/criminal why would you care anyhow?

I was wondering when the "if you have nothing to hide..." wing would chime in. If you have nothing to hide, then just put webcams in every room in your house, your car, your favorite bar, etc. etc. and make sure they're running constantly; create facebook & twitter accounts, make them accessible to everyone, and update them constantly with your whereabouts, activities, & political opinions; and of course make SURE you leave your cellphone ON all the time and keep it with you. Everybody knows that only criminals (and paranoids) care about privacy. Right?

[Netizen]

my iphone was Lost..or stolen a few days ago and I can't find it on the tracker becasue it hasn't been turned on. the only question is how do we get NSA to track it for us

Go to an internet cafe and report yourself as a terrorist to FBI web site. They will go to your cell and let you know when the cell phone is found and ask you if you can identify the body of the possessor.

Edited July 27, 2013 by Netizen