A class action lawsuit in California, reveals that Transit Police are using a free ‘Bart Watch’ app and Stingray surveillance to secretly spy on commuters texts and emails. (For more info. read pages 5-15 of the suit.)
Transit Police take their cues from other police departments, claiming they’re only interested in the public’s safety and security,
Unfortunately, these ‘See Something, Say Something’ apps allow police to spy on everyone.
According to ABC7 News at least 10,000-50,000 people have downloaded the Elerts spying app. The lawsuit reveals that Transit Police are using Elerts to secretly collect everyone’s cellphone identification number, otherwise known as International Mobile Equipment Identity number (IMEI).
The lawsuit warns, that Transit Police also use Stingray surveillance to identify individuals and spy on their texts and emails.
To make it easier to spy on commuters Elerts wants Transit Police to use their new ‘free’ Text-A-Tip’ app.
The ‘Bart Watch’ surveillance app is made by Elerts corporation, who claims that they’re the number one incident reporting & alerting app in the country. They also claim that twelve Transit police departments are using their app.
Which means, there are at least twelve Transit Police departments spying on commuters.
According to an article in the Boston Business Journal, the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) has been using Elerts to spy on commuters since 2012.
Transit police use commuters fear of terrorism to get them to download their apps.
DHS’s VIPR teams work closely with Transit cops across the country.
This past March, the Minneapolis Metro Transit Police admitted they’ve been working closely with DHS’s Visible Intermodal Prevention and Response (VIPR) teams for more than a decade.
VIPR teams are meant to intimidate commuters and allow them to search people without a warrant as this story from Chicago shows.
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