Privacy advocates gained access to a powerful tool bought by U.S. law enforcement agencies that can track smartphone locations around the world. Abortion clinics, places of worship, and individual people can all be monitored without a warrant.

Privacy advocates got access to Locate X, a phone tracking tool which multiple U.S. agencies have bought access to, and showed me and other journalists exactly what it was capable of. Tracking a phone from one state to another to an abortion clinic. Multiple places of worship. A school. Following a likely juror to a residence. And all of this tracking is possible without a warrant, and instead just a few clicks of a mouse.

  • @WrenFeathers@lemmy.worldEnglish
    8•6 hours ago

    I can assure you that people don’t need instant access to calendars and maps. Smart phones are a convenience, not a necessity.

    (Source - lived through the 80’s. Still alive to tell the tale)

      • @WrenFeathers@lemmy.worldEnglish
        1•3 hours ago

        No, they don’t. Because if they’re weak enough to allow themselves to become addicted to a device, that’s their problem to solve. Not even else’s.

        Smartphones are a convince, a tool. Nothing more. If one can’t live without one- there’s a problem needing to be addressed.

        • @frostysauce@lemmy.worldEnglish
          1•2 hours ago

          if they’re weak enough to allow themselves to become addicted to a device

          That’s not how addiction works.