How does phone tracking by police work?

[ezio aulditore]

For android phones in India-

1). can police get a phone's imei number just by using that phone's number?

2). also suppose if a phone was moving around within few miles radious for few days and it was turned on several times in that duration. But now the phone is turned off permanently and only after phone is turned off police starts to try to track the phone for the first time using only the mobile no which was being used by that phone when it was turned on in last few days. So can police get all the locations where that phone were in those last few days ?

3). Also if that phone's user turns off permanently or throws away the phone and take a new phone and inserts the same sim card in that new phone, and only after that if police starts to try to track using that mobile no for the first time, can police even get all the location infos about where that old phone were for last few days before it was thrown away?

 

[ocnbrze]

1). can police get a phone's imei number just by using that phone's number?
2). also suppose if a phone was moving around within few miles radious for few days and it was turned on several times in that duration. But now the phone is turned off permanently and after phone is turned off police starts to try to track the phone using only the mobile no which was being used by that phone when it was turned on in last few days. So can police get all the locations where that phone were in those last few days ?
3). Also if that phone's user throws away the phone and take a new phone and inserts the same sim card in that new phone, and after that if police starts to try to track using that mobile no for first time, can police even get all the location infos about where that old phone were for last few days before it was thrown away?

1)no
2)no idea
3)probably not

 

[mikedt]

1. They might be able to obtain it from the carrier, as those details are registered on the carrier network systems when the phone is used. Law enforcement may require a warrant though, all depending on the jurisdiction of the country you're in.
2. Don't know.
3. Maybe not.

 

[ezio aulditore]

1. They might be able to obtain it from the carrier, as those details are registered on the carrier network systems when the phone is used. Law enforcement may require a warrant though, all depending on the jurisdiction of the country you're in.
2. Don't know.
3. Maybe not.

Tyvm, it's Indian jurisdiction.

 

[mikedt]

Tyvm, it's Indian jurisdiction.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Search_warrant#India

 

[ocnbrze]

Yes, they can do this but idk how they do it.

Well you most likely will not get an answer from us. Most of us here are not police.

 

[svim]

Here in the U.S. it's a not very good matter where our cellular carriers are allowed to not only collect customer data but retain it indefinitely. They are also allowed to sell that accumulated info to data brokers. And in an additional perverse manner, law enforcement use the tax dollars we pay them to buy that info from the data brokers. Or in other words, not only do we pay the carriers to exploit us, we're also paying taxes to be actively used against us.
https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2022/...untry-buys-cell-phone-location-data-wholesale
I have no clue as to the consumer protection laws in India. Here in the U.S. any such laws are minimal at best and typically over-shadowed by an anti-consumer, pro-austerity mindset in public policy decisions. So your three questions may or may not be warranted as they're all based on what kinds of power your law enforcement is allowed and what kind of restrictions are in place with Indian carriers and customer data retention.

 

[Hadron]

Many countries have security laws that require networks to retain various types of information for some period of time. Since the mobile network by definition knows which cell your phone is registered on at any time, they always have approximate location information for you at any time when you are connected to the network. So if Indian laws require them to retain that information and the police request it (and are allowed to request it) within that data retention period then the answers to your questions will be:

1) Yes. When a phone connects to the network the network receives the IMEI and the IMSI (SIM identifier). The SIM is linked to your phone number, so if they know your phone number and the network retains the data they can provide a list of every IMEI you have used that SIM with.

2) Yes. A few days is a very short period, so if India has laws that require data retention for any period at all then they will be able to do this. Do note though that location based on what cell you are connected to is only approximate.

3) Yes, if they ask within the period the data are retained. It's the same SIM, and the network will know where you have been using that SIM (approximately). Changing the phone is irrelevant if you use the same SIM.

Basically the network has all of the information needed, the only question is how long they retain it and what the police are allowed to ask for.

 

[ezio aulditore]

Many countries have security laws that require networks to retain various types of information for some period of time. Since the mobile network by definition knows which cell your phone is registered on at any time, they always have approximate location information for you at any time when you are connected to the network. So if Indian laws require them to retain that information and the police request it (and are allowed to request it) within that data retention period then the answers to your questions will be:

1) Yes. When a phone connects to the network the network receives the IMEI and the IMSI (SIM identifier). The SIM is linked to your phone number, so if they know your phone number and the network retains the data they can provide a list of every IMEI you have used that SIM with.

2) Yes. A few days is a very short period, so if India has laws that require data retention for any period at all then they will be able to do this. Do note though that location based on what cell you are connected to is only approximate.

3) Yes, if they ask within the period the data are retained. It's the same SIM, and the network will know where you have been using that SIM (approximately). Changing the phone is irrelevant if you use the same SIM.

Basically the network has all of the information needed, the only question is how long they retain it and what the police are allowed to ask for.

Wow very good explanation. Tyvm sir . Wish i could know in India, network providers how long retain location infos of a cell phone user and what the police are allowed to ask to network providers

 

[ezio aulditore]

Here in the U.S. it's a not very good matter where our cellular carriers are allowed to not only collect customer data but retain it indefinitely. They are also allowed to sell that accumulated info to data brokers. And in an additional perverse manner, law enforcement use the tax dollars we pay them to buy that info from the data brokers. Or in other words, not only do we pay the carriers to exploit us, we're also paying taxes to be actively used against us.
https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2022/...untry-buys-cell-phone-location-data-wholesale
I have no clue as to the consumer protection laws in India. Here in the U.S. any such laws are minimal at best and typically over-shadowed by an anti-consumer, pro-austerity mindset in public policy decisions. So your three questions may or may not be warranted as they're all based on what kinds of power your law enforcement is allowed and what kind of restrictions are in place with Indian carriers and customer data retention.

Tyvm sir

 

[Hadron]

Wow very good explanation. Tyvm sir . Wish i could know in India, network providers how long retain location infos of a cell phone user and what the police are allowed to ask to network providers

How long providers do retain information is hard to know, but how long they are required to (the minimum time they will retain it) should be knowable: laws should, after all, be a matter of public record. It's just knowing what to look for. Since storing data costs money it's quite possible that networks will delete it once they are not required by law to keep it, but that will be up to them.

What they can ask, again if it's the police this should also be a matter of public record (regulations relating to other security services may be more secretive). Of course that does assume that the network sticks to the law and only gives the police what they are legally required to.