Just an interesting heads. I've known this for a wile but there was a good recent news segment on this.

In general, LE has not been required to have warrants or probable cause to access telephone location information, either live or archival.

The story can be heard at www.onthemedia.org/ The show aired on March 5th.

This is from my mobile so I'll have to get the full link later. However, there is a lot on this if you google it.

Cellphones are required to have a gps locator chip in them; ostensibly to enable finding a 911 caller who can dial but not speak.

Obviously, such features can be misused.

For example, geolocation can be used to pinpoint physical address which can be cross-referenced to public records to provide someone's full name and address. This is why, when I see a provider, my cell phones are off, the batteries are removed; and they are placed in a faraday cage.

If you look carefully at your 500-page 6-point-type service agreement; you'll likely find that employees at the company are allowed to do this too; just as your agreement with your ISP lets their employees snoop into your email.

I have used the location feature of the cell phone to get the police to my location AFTER my car was broken into and vandelized... but lets face it, these features are being used in a mindless fashion by many....  See the reference to the recent "Computer web cam" incident!

and lets face it, if you use the computer to send messages, identify who you wish to see, verify them... etc.  You can be tracked.... just that simple - unless you happen to "borrow" a public computer, or a friends....

big brother is watching... has been for a while now...  back in the ole days, ever turn your hardwired phone off????  Well, did ya?

BTW... I should mention, that all this purely fictional story-making, and that I don't 'pretend to ascribe' any plausibility to the aforementioned information.

All information contained within these posts is for entertainment purposes only...

Stomp stomp wink wink

Have a great day all.

Yes, they use this all the time to locate people who have called 911 but were unable to give a location. They also use it to locate stranded and hurt climbers and hikers. Not a big revelation.

Never heard of them using it to track whether random guys are seeing providers.

Yes, there are excellent legitimate uses for location based services in cellphones. Also some bogus annoying marketing crap and abusive uses by LE.

they followed his pings off his cell phone to olace him in the right spot at the right time. He was at the Marriot at the time of the murdr and so on. They found Casey, who killed her daughter by following the pings on her cell phone as well. they have found children kidnapped by a parent by followig their cell phones also. Its a tool law enforcement uses and has used for a verylong time.  It has great uses and if they wanted to they could track me down to a certain hotel as well but it still comes down to not a big enough fish to fry.
be aware of technology but don't be afraid of it.

In my laboratory, I have a jug of sulfuric acid. It just sits there all by its lonesome and does absolutely nothing. Just like the GPS chip in a phone just sits there and does absolutely nothing.

What makes the sulfuric acid bad or good is what *I* choose to do with it. It is MY intent that infuses it with moral content. The power of human choice.

In my cellphone is a GPS chip. That chip *could* save my life. Or, one of my ex-girlfriends who is a cop could activate that chip and use it to hunt me down and kill me for possible past wrongs.

This technology is perfectly fine and can and does save lives. But it is worthwhile to be AWARE of its potential for abuse without our knowledge or consent.

I believe that yes, phones can be tracked without warrents...  but when dear daughter lost her phone the carrier informed her that they would only do so upon LE request.  
The biggest concern should be the spyware program that allows others to keep you phone active to overhear what is said in the location.  It was on TV a while back.  It would be just the thing for a spouse to catch a cheater.  
I leave my normal phone in the car & only my prepaid phone gets swapped into my belt carrier on a date.  I also erase the calls recieved & dialed before shutting it off & storing it.  Not that it could not be broken forensically, but it would sure prevent Mrs Tiger from hitting redial!
I do not have a smart phone but there is great risk of any tracking technology.
I also delete "previous destinations" from my auto GPS.  Yes, it means I might have to re-enter an address.  It's better to be safe.  
If you are being forensically investigated you are already in trouble.  Do not leave any bread crumbs...
skb