Police Warn of Smartphone Scanner Apps
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W2NJS
Member
In the US it's a violation of the Communications Act to retransmit emergency calls. Now let's see if anyone has the guts to do anything about that app that's being sold these days.
And before all you so-called legal eagles jump all over me for this post please note that you can listen all you want to the stuff, but you're prohibited from retransmitting it, and the rule has been law for many, many years.
And before all you so-called legal eagles jump all over me for this post please note that you can listen all you want to the stuff, but you're prohibited from retransmitting it, and the rule has been law for many, many years.
KE5TLF
Member
Oh I dunno, probably because it ISN'T illegal to do so maybe?...
http://forums.radioreference.com/li...reference-live-audio-broadcasts-archives.html
http://forums.radioreference.com/li...reference-live-audio-broadcasts-archives.html
JoeyC
Senior Member
I don't see LEGAL or ILLEGAL as being the main problem here.
The problem is THE CHIEF HAS NOTICED. Encryption is in the mouth of the salesman. YOU put 2 and 2 together....
The best thing any site retransmitting this type of radio is PUT A 2 MINUTE DELAY ON IT, in addition to the internet delay already inherant in a feed to eliminate any concerns that have come up in this article.
The problem is THE CHIEF HAS NOTICED. Encryption is in the mouth of the salesman. YOU put 2 and 2 together....
The best thing any site retransmitting this type of radio is PUT A 2 MINUTE DELAY ON IT, in addition to the internet delay already inherant in a feed to eliminate any concerns that have come up in this article.
Justin1129
Member
It's legal in most states.
n1das
Member
Should be more like a 15 minute delay, like like looking at stock quotes online.
And one could argue that streaming over the Internet is NOT "retransmitting". Yes it is broadcasting, but not transmitting.
DonS
Member
While it's not "retransmitting", it's certainly "divulging" or "publishing". (Though, in the "legality" thread referenced above, the quoted USC text which prohibits those acts has nothing to do with intrastate, domestic communications).
The applications don't retransmit anything. The audio stream still comes from RRs servers, as far as I know.
benbenrf
Member
I get the impression that a lot (if not most) public service radio comm's (e.g. police, fire, ambulance, utility etc etc ....) in the USA is still analogue, not digital - is this correct guys?
UK police radio comm's have over the last 5 years or so been subject to the largest overhaul ever carried out: TETRA forms the basis to most public service radio comm's in the UK now, allowing various services (police, ambulance, fire etc ...) to link to each other nationwide.
Though there have been (and still are) problems with the system, one thing that has been achieved is the shutting out of hobby scanners/listeners.
TETRA demodulation is relatively straightforward to carry out, but real-time decyphering (and most Police TETRA com's are cyphered) has yet to be demonstrated. It's proved to be a pretty secure and reliable system.
The few police TETRA hand-sets that have been lost or stolen are quickly "isolated" and/or remotely deactivated.
UK police radio comm's have over the last 5 years or so been subject to the largest overhaul ever carried out: TETRA forms the basis to most public service radio comm's in the UK now, allowing various services (police, ambulance, fire etc ...) to link to each other nationwide.
Though there have been (and still are) problems with the system, one thing that has been achieved is the shutting out of hobby scanners/listeners.
TETRA demodulation is relatively straightforward to carry out, but real-time decyphering (and most Police TETRA com's are cyphered) has yet to be demonstrated. It's proved to be a pretty secure and reliable system.
The few police TETRA hand-sets that have been lost or stolen are quickly "isolated" and/or remotely deactivated.
n5ims
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So your point is that there are no transmitters between the RR servers and the folks listening to the stream on their smartphone? Not even the one between the Cell tower and smartphone?
No, my point is that the application doesn't retransmit (rebroadcast, divulge, whatever) anything. It doesn't matter if anyone "has the guts to do anything about that app", because (assuming for the purposes of this post that it's illegal) the application isn't where it's coming from.
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Yes, and much of the digital communication (most?) is P25 in the clear, which can be decoded with consumer-grade scanners.
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n5ims
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While you may be correct that the application itself doesn't do any retransmitting itself, do you admit that the use of the application would cause a retransmition to take place that wouldn't have otherwise taken place if the application hadn't been used?
Stick0413
Member
Don't even need a web browser for that matter.... Windows Media, I-Tunes, WinAmp, etc. all do it without a web browser.
I now have a headache from reading all of that! LOL. Another issue that I'm sure will eventually come up is that they are turning their Iphones into portable scanners. In Indiana, it is illegal to just walk around carrying a portable scanner, or using one in your car. (There are exceptions to this law, aren't their always?) I'm wondering if police could actually confiscate the Iphones if they are being used in public as a police scanner? I suppose, technically, they could do this. Whether or not they would, depends on the cop, and what else you've done to anger him! LOL
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