March 24, 2008

Cell Phones Can Be Used to Track Individuals

Cell-phone companies can tell not only where your phone is, but as long as it's on, they can trace where it's been — whether the phone is in use or not. And that technology is becoming a staple of law enforcement investigations. The tracking technology is a common feature of cell phones, mandated since 1999 so 911 dispatchers could easily trace the location of emergency calls. Newer phones, such as the iPhone owned by Lewis, the BlackBerry and other models that access local wireless Internet networks (wi-fi), can be tracked even more precisely than conventional cell phones.

Cell phones become tools for helping detectives find crime suspects, Florida Sun-Sentinel, March 22, 2008.