{"id":77237,"date":"2015-06-16T22:39:58","date_gmt":"2015-06-17T02:39:58","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/rbachnet.wwwmi3-ss40.a2hosted.com\/index.php\/"},"modified":"2021-08-24T11:36:01","modified_gmt":"2021-08-24T15:36:01","slug":"michigan-cell-phone-spying-legislation-stalled","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/rbach.net\/index.php\/michigan-cell-phone-spying-legislation-stalled\/","title":{"rendered":"Michigan Cell-Phone Spying Legislation Stalled"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Michigan<\/a>A warrantless cell-phone spying<\/a> bill<\/strong> recently introduced in the Michigan House<\/strong>\u00a0has stalled – for now. MLive<\/a><\/em> is reporting<\/a> that House Bill 4006<\/a>\u00a0has been pulled from the\u00a0legislative agenda a second time. The bill would require cell phone companies to disclose call location information<\/a> when requested by a law enforcement officer. The bill would grant legal immunity to cell phone companies for making the disclosures.<\/p>\n

\"Michigan<\/a>In a flash of rationality, Gideon D’Assandro, a spokesperson for the\u00a0Republican majority<\/strong>, said new questions about jurisdiction and proposed immunity for\u00a0wireless providers have popped up. D’Assandro told MLive,<\/em> \u201c\u2026 There are still questions.<\/em>”<\/p>\n

The legislation, sponsored by Republican Rep. Kurt Heise<\/a> of Plymouth Township, has\u00a0prompted push back<\/strong> from some conservative lawmakers<\/strong> and other privacy proponents<\/strong> in the state Legislature after advancing out of committee. “It’s been a heated\u00a0discussion, a passionate discussion, just about the civil liberty<\/a> issues that are all\u00a0wrapped up in this,<\/em>” said Rep. Cindy Gamrat, R-Plainwell<\/a>. “My concern is \u2026 we’re\u00a0setting precedent authorizing government to access our technology devices, such as\u00a0phones or computers or GPS<\/a> in cars. Where do you end up drawing the line?<\/em>”<\/p>\n

\"Cell-phone<\/a>State Rep. Todd Courser, R-Lapeer, said he understands the value that location information could provide in some emergencies. However, made clear this week that he could not vote for the bill in its current form. He told MLive<\/em>, “I think we also need to make\u00a0sure we’re giving people the constitutional protections<\/strong> that are supposed to be afforded\u00a0by our founding fathers.<\/em>”<\/p>\n

In typical goobermental double-speak, Republican<\/strong> Heise told MLive<\/em> that allowing warrantless\u00a0access<\/strong> to private citizens’ phones could actually strengthen civil liberty protections<\/strong>.\u00a0Heise told MLive<\/em>\u00a0said he does not\u00a0necessarily think that a 48-hour notification for cell phone owners is warranted.<\/p>\n

\"Spy\"<\/a>Of course, law enforcement groups and Verizon Communications indicated support for the proposal. Of course they do, they get even more access to citizens\u2019 private information. MLive<\/em> states that as\u00a0now written, the snooping does not require a warrant<\/strong>. All a police officer needs to access a private citizen’s phone records, is to have a note signed by a supervisor<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

rb-<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Well, maybe they don’t need to bother with any legislation to spy on us. Recent reports are that the goobermint has new ways to collect our personal data without a warrant. Stingray<\/a>? FBI Spy planes<\/a>? So much for the Constitution.<\/em><\/p>\n

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