WiFi & Bluetooth Devices To Be Tracked Like License Plate Readers Track Cars

License plate reading cameras track automobiles as they travel down the road, but other technologies have been devised which can track smartphones, smart devices, computers, fitness trackers and RFID tags as they move about an area.

While cellphones track themselves by their very nature, the systems which make that possible are based around the phone itself, such as telecommunication companies. Government spy agencies such as the NSA can also access this information.

A new tool for the surveillance grid has been developed by defense contractor Leonardo U.S. Cyber and Security Solutions, LLC which makes location-based monitoring more accessible without the need for access into a cell provider or NSA-level clearances.

“A surveillance company plans to add sensors to automatic license plate readers (ALPRs) that would mean the devices, as well as capture the license plate of passing vehicles, would also sweep up unique identifiers of mobile phones, wearables, and other Bluetooth-enabled devices in those cars, potentially letting law enforcement identify specific drivers or passengers,” 404 Media said June 8. “The technology, called SignalTrace, would turn ALPR cameras from devices focused on tracking cars to ones that can more readily track the location of particular people. ALPR cameras have become a commonly deployed technology all across the U.S.; SignalTrace would make some of those cameras capable of collecting much more data.”

Now wireless devices can be tracked in a manner similar to license plates.

“The identification system uses sensors placed along roadways to capture the frequencies emitted by consumer electronic devices. It creates an electronic signature for each set of devices that routinely travel together. If LPR cameras are deployed at the same sites as EOC Plus sensors, officers can match the date and time stamps from both systems to associate a specific license plate number with a signature. Even without LPR cameras, law enforcement can identify the location, date, and time of electronic signatures, which can help them find suspects, victims, and witnesses faster,” a press release on the technology said.

Due to picking up the ambient signals emitted by wireless devices (WiFi and Bluetooth constantly emit pings along with some unique information which can be tracked), SignalTrace acts in a passive manner, skirting some of the legal privacy protection restrictions.

“ELSAG EOC Plus captures device frequencies emitted into the air. It does not decrypt or capture the contents of the devices or their communications,” the press release said.

SignalTrace is not the first system to track Bluetooth-enabled devices, but it may be the most universal with plans to have the technology deployed along roadways and public areas, effectively preventing its avoidance.

Target stores rolled out a Bluetooth tracking system via its smartphone app in 2017, but that system was limited to app users within Target’s stores. The retailer has embraced surveillance of its customers, but faced legal backlash from its facial recognition and camera-based fingerprint systems.

“If SignalTrace can pick up your Bluetooth headphones, you can be damn sure it’ll also be looking out for your vehicle’s 5G hotspot, infotainment system, and even its tire pressure monitoring sensors. Hell, the company includes pet microchips as a potential entry point to tracking,” The Drive said. “The goal here, as 404 sums up, is to ‘bridge the gap between vehicle and occupant.’ Previously, these cameras could track a car’s whereabouts at a given time. Throw in a glut of unique identifiers, though, and the job of tying an individual or multiple people to that vehicle becomes trivial—and not something anyone can simply opt out of.”

Attorney Steve Lehto discussed this new surveillance technology and criticized the broader surveillance grid that is being erected. He also explained the issues which have arisen from other surveillance systems, such as police stalking people for their own personal or romantic tendencies. He ended by saying that people should refuse these systems at the local level, such as at city council meetings.