Smartphones contain a wealth of personal data, making them attractive targets for hackers. However, law enforcement agencies also use cell phones to gather evidence, often employing tactics that are harder to detect. One such tactic is the use of cell site simulators, or “Stingrays,” which trick phones into revealing private communications.
Law enforcement organizations have widely adopted Stingray devices due to their widespread phone usage. These devices mimic normal cell towers, allowing operators to track a device’s location and intercept calls and messages. This technique has become increasingly popular with police, despite concerns about its use in collecting data from innocent bystanders.
Stingrays can also collect information from other nearby phones, raising questions about the limits of privacy in public areas. While law enforcement agencies claim to only target suspects, some have used Stingrays simply for convenience. In recent years, mysterious groups outside of law enforcement have also deployed cell simulators, highlighting a broader issue with surveillance.
Google has worked to address this security problem for over a year but was hindered by hardware support issues. However, the upcoming release of Android 16 will finally provide phones with the ability to detect malicious Stingray activity, putting an end to this form of snooping.
Source: https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2025/06/future-android-phones-could-warn-you-about-data-stealing-fake-cell-towers