Senators urge FCC to address impact of stingray technology on communities of color, emergency services

A group of 12 U.S. senators recently sent a letter to Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Tom Wheeler urging him to address the potential impacts of stingray technology on communities of color.

The concern stems from allegations that state and local law enforcement agencies have used portable surveillance devices that act like cell phone towers, called stingrays, to disrupt ordinary consumer cellular service and interrupt emergency service calls. The senators called on the FCC to examine how the use of stingrays might disproportionately affect communities of color.

“While we appreciate law enforcement’s need to locate and track dangerous suspects, the use of stingray devices should not come at the expense of innocent Americans’ privacy and safety, nor should law enforcement’s use of the devices disrupt ordinary consumers’ ability to communicate,” the letter said. “Reliable access to telecommunications services is vital to Americans’ ability to communicate and successfully engage in today’s economy, and it is the FCC’s responsibility to ensure that communications services are available to Americans of all backgrounds.”

The letter was signed by U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden (D-OR), Al Franken (D-MN) and Patrick Leahy (D-VT) and cosigned by Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Edward Markey (D-MA), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Tom Udall (D-NM), Martin Heinrich (D-NM) and Chris Coons (D-DE).