Using mass surveillance software without a warrant is almost as easy as installing Skype, according to leaked footage and instruction manuals for Harris Corp. stingray devices.
The footage, obtained by the Intercept, shows Harris Corp.'s Gemini software being used on a personal computer demonstrating how accessible the program is with a noticeable lack of any registration keys, proof of ownership, or safety measures to ensure the software was only used for authorized purposes.
The manuals include instructions for several Harris surveillance boxes, including the Hailstorm, ArrowHead, AmberJack, KingFish and other products in the RayFish Product Family.
Some features mentioned in the manuals are the ability to impersonate four cellular communication towers at once, monitor up to four cellular provider networks at once, and the ability to knock a targets devices down to an inferior network, such as from LTE to 2G.
The manual also details how to set up a target or “subscriber” and how to set up bulk surveillance, according to a Gemini device “Quick Start Guide” that was leaked on DocumentCloud.
The guide also explains how users can give each target a unique tag as well as suspend and resume monitoring. There are also references to logging functionalities which suggest that information collected may be stored, a feature that many departments have denied using.
