Posted on 08/29/2011 1:56:47 PM PDT by NewHampshireDuo
I am reading a very interesting book on surveillance (Surveillance or Security? - The risks posed by new wiretapping technologies by Susan Landau). In it the author makes a passing comment that cell phone locations (proximity to a tower) can be tracked even with the phone turned off. The implication is that turning the phone off only turns off the user interface, not the periodic pings. Removing the battery will turn this off.
I have seen some statements that this is correct and others that say it's not but nothing (in a quick search) that's definitive.
Does anyone have an authoritative source with an answer?
“even with the phone turned off”
If that is the case, I’m guessing that the battery would die out if it stayed off for very long so I seriously doubt it. Many hikers only turn their phone on periodically to save the battery.
When my cellphone is off but the battery is in and it’s near a radio that’s on or near my laptop and the sound is on I hear four or five beeps every so often.
That is correct.
Years ago a friend of mine had problems with his phone. While talking to tech support they asked him to turn the phone off to apply an update.
He said, “Do you need me to turn it back on?”
“Nope.”
Unless you pull the battery you can be logged. All part of the E911 law to make us safer, ya’know.
It depends upon how you define ‘Off’.
If you are completely ‘Off’; your phone has to re-register and find towers, effectively re-boot and re-initialize. Typically, when a phone is turned ‘off’ it’s really set to a sleep mode. So, when you drive, the phone isn’t really burning a whole lot of power; but it is picking up new cell towers and dropping other cell towers as they move out of range.
If you want total radio silence; you have to remove the battery - or turn the phone completely OFF - such that it has to reboot when you re-power it on again.
**
And once the biometric patch tattoo thingie is worked out, you won't even be able to take the battery out.
It’s my understanding that the phone cannot be tracked if the battery is removed. But......they could place a very small battery in the phone, on the circuit board that couldn’t be removed. Believe me, if they want to track you via this device or any other, like GPS or computers in your car, they can.
That's either to remind you to drop another raisin in the Gin or synch up your beeber, depending on your status at the time.
Could this be prevented by placing the phone into an all metal container?
None of this will matter when you get your own personal “chip.”
You can prevent being tracked if you can restrict the phone’s antenna from sending and receiving signals. I have been told that you can buy “antistat” bags like those used to protect PCBs from ESD damage and put your phone in it to prevent being “followed.” It will take the phone some small period of time to find a cell tower though when you take it out to use.
Maybe you can check with some fancy RF equipment, or even a radio which the cell phone interferes with when checking in. I know some GSM phones can make speakers buzz when they are very close and are checking into the tower.
Yes, then fill the container with water or other suitable liquid.
In the movie Spartan, Val Kilmer’s character actually did specifically take out the battery from the cellphone...twice in the movie. The movie/script was based on the founder of Delta Force so there might be truth to it.
I assure you that will never happen. Although I am given to a half pint of Mint Chip on occasion.
Apparently you can.
:)
Silly....
If you don’t want your phone to be used as a tracking AND listening device, remove the battery.
I guess I’ll have to put my phone inside my tinfoil hat.
Nope. I just tried it and it didn't work. The phone company still found me... well, my phone rang when I dialed it from a land line. At most it will weaken the signal so the phone will just turn up the power on its transmission to get through.
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