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While you may not be familiar with Babel Street or Location X, it is highly likely that these entities possess extensive information about you and your acquaintances who carry mobile devices at all times.
Babel Street, a relatively obscure company based in Reston, Virginia, operates Location X—a powerful tool capable of monitoring the whereabouts of hundreds of millions of smartphone users over extended periods. Although Babel Street claims to restrict access to this service solely for personnel and contractors associated with U.S. law enforcement agencies, including state-level organizations, there are loopholes. For instance, an individual representing a firm that assists people in removing their personal data from consumer data broker databases managed to secure a two-week trial by honestly stating his intention to potentially work as a contractor for a government agency in the future.
Massive Scale Location Tracking
KrebsOnSecurity was among five news organizations that gained insight into the data generated during this trial period. They reported that one notable feature of Location X allows users to delineate boundaries between states or other locations—or even outline specific buildings or city blocks—and access historical records detailing Internet-connected devices that have crossed those defined lines.
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