Dirtboxes and Stingrays are surveillance devices used by police and federal agencies to track cell phones and collect data from mobile devices in a targeted area.[1][2]
### How They Work- Both devices function as cell-site simulators, mimicking real cell towers so nearby phones connect to them instead of the actual towers.[1][2][3]
- Once connected, these devices can collect information such as the phone’s location, unique identifiers, call logs, texts, and sometimes even the content of communications.[4][1]
- Stingrays are typically used from vehicles or handheld setups, while Dirtboxes—named for Digital Receiver Technology (DRT)—are larger and can be mounted in aircraft such as Cessnas, sweeping much larger areas from overhead.[2][3][4]
### Usage by Law Enforcement- Agencies such as the FBI, DEA, U.S. Marshals, Department of Homeland Security, and many local police departments use these tools to track fugitives, locate suspects, and gather information during criminal investigations.[1][2][3]
- Aerial Dirtbox deployments allow authorities to capture information from thousands of phones simultaneously, not just intended targets.[2][4]
### Privacy and Legal Concerns- Both targeted and untargeted cell phones in the vicinity can have data intercepted, raising major privacy and constitutional concerns regarding warrantless searches and mass data collection.[1][2][3][4]
- There are questions about warrants being obtained consistently—sometimes agencies have been documented using these devices without proper judicial oversight.[3][1]
### Technology Evolution- Newer versions of Stingrays and Dirtboxes can now intercept modern LTE signals and may even break cellular encryption to access private communications.[4]
- Agencies have sometimes attempted to keep use of such technology secret, from both the public and criminal defendants.[3]
These devices are powerful law enforcement tools but their invasive capabilities have led to significant debate over privacy rights and proper legal boundaries for surveillance in the digital age.[1][2][3][4]
[1](
https://www.efani.com/blog/prevent-stin ... -dirtboxes)
[2](
https://michiganlawreview.org/spies-in-the-skies/)
[3](
https://www.wired.com/2014/11/feds-moth ... ng-planes/)
[4](
https://www.aclusocal.org/en/news/dirtb ... ce-arsenal)
[5](
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stingray_phone_tracker)
[6](
https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2020/06/q ... e-protests)
[7](
https://www.reddit.com/r/privacytoolsIO ... _cops_can/)
[8](
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wzSgLpNrr2E)
