The Washington Post has a very informative article discussing new "stingray" devices used by law enforcement (http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/secrecy-around-police-surveillance-equipment-proves-a-cases-undoing/2015/02/22/ce72308a-b7ac-11e4-aa05-1ce812b3fdd2_story.html).
Basically a stingray mimics a cell phone tower. It tricks YOUR cell phone into thinking it's connecting to the tower. Instead, your phone actually connects to a device that can take whatever information from your phone they want. It can also be used to track your location. It all happens without your knowledge.
The picture is from the article, and is a great illustration of how the stingray works.
To date, Im not aware of any reported rulings one way or the other regarding 4th amendment or other constitutional issues surrounding stingrays. For now, the issue appears to be undecided.
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