The US government is reportedly using spy planes equipped with a special military-grade eavesdropping device to eavesdrop on cell phone conversations and extract information from millions of smartphone users in the US, according to a new report that has been made public. The small device, dubbed the “Dirtbox,” mimics cell phone towers and collects data from millions of cellphones, supposedly helping US Marshals track potential criminals while recording information from unsuspecting citizens for national security purposes
Dirtbox is designed to track a specific target and record data. The point is that all devices in the area it controls respond to its signal and are recorded. So all smartphones within range send information such as location, IMEI number, account information and identity of the owner.
Dirtbox takes its name from the initials of Digital Receiver Technology, Inc., a subsidiary of Boeing, which manufactures these machines.
This project has been underway since 2007, with Dirtboxes being installed on Cessna aircraft, which fly over 5 major airports in the country, covering a large part of the population.
The way they work is the same as the Stingray machine, which many services, including the US military, have had for a decade. This allows authorities to obtain information such as locations, internet traffic, and even listen to conversations between the device's owners.
The Dirtbox project, of course, is not official. According to a source who cites information, among other things, he says: “Anything done on American soil is perfectly legal…. The question is whether it should be done.”.
