Now I realise that this is the wrong forum to post into, but I can't figure which is the right one.
On the news today (Uk) was a story about the conviction of Daniella Jones's murderer. As part of the evidence put forward was that a mobile phone mast had detected the daniellas and her uncles mobile phones had been in close proximity at the time of the abduction. So this made me wonder if mobile phone companys really do keep a record of where mobile phones are at all times. If so this is becoming a pretty fullscale surveillance network.
So do any of you know how trueful this is and if phones are tracked?

Loz

Yes, the do keep records, however in the US the phone company refuses to help with investigations and emergency services/lost persons because it would be too much of a burden. Which hardly seems of justification.

However the phone companies do allow federal agents access to the logs. I suppose that if you tried hard enough you could impersonate one. ...a fed, not a log.

This is done quite openly in uk, especially with some quite recent cases in my area. Fucking pigs!!
Fact of he matter is, if you dont want anyone to know where you are don't just ignore the calls, turn the blaste thing off!!

I hate invasion of privacy..

-=MaTrIXSpirit=-

I hate the illusion of privacy.

They can only tell where you are when you are using the phone.Not when it is switched on you are just reciving then not transmiting.

Heres my take:

The government (ANY GOVERNMENT) can and will make you deliver all information you have seeing a judge finds it fit that you hand it over (95% of the time they will in the U.S.) if you refuse you are subject to contempt of court (jail till you comply) Now heres the important part: all this is very much true but you have one thing going for you that will most likely never ever change:

You and your crime are peanuts to everyone but who your crime directly effects unless you do somthing that should set you apart such as a violent or dangerous crime or a natural felony. In laymens terms lets say mr criminal writes himself a bad check for 1k. now we all know that money can get an awful lot done in this world of ours but, ask yourself who will know and who will care? now the answer to this hypethetical situation is: not the cops. They are worried about real crimes or ones that fall into their laps, things like real crimes and traffic tickets. not the account owner his info is insured by his bank he or she will get angry and watch their documents more carefully but in the end they make a phonecall and a fist. Now the only people who are going to care in this situation is the bank or an extension of their insurance, in which case they will document everything they can and file a report. In a week or so they might send the check to a place for fingerprinting and if they're really really lucky they might still have footage of mr. criminal or the teller might remember if he was in fact a he or a she. Oh they can catch you and they will if you keep commiting crimes but, if you limit evidence and make an investigation very difficult it is simply not cost-efficent to try and stop mr criminal from collecting "chump change". This is the sad truth of how the world works and how jihads labeled as small potatoes can hit buildings.