Can Police Track Mobile Phone Without Permission?

Question: I want the data of my phone to be completely safe and visible only to me. I don’t want police to track and monitor the phone calls, contact list, and saved text messages from my mobile. So I was wondering if the police can track a mobile phone without my permission?

Answer: The question should be whether is it legal or not legal to track a cell phone without permission? Tracking happens all the time, even without your knowledge.

All the carrier networks around the world have cell phone towers installed in every area. Sometimes they have more than one tower. These towers is what gives signal to your mobile phone. For example, as mentioned in our Nokia tracking guide, the signal strength of Nokia phones are very good when you are located in a good reception area.

Every time a phone is turned ON, it will look for the closest tower. All this information is recorded and stored. Technically, carrier networks know about your location, but do they look into it? That’s the question we must answer.

Because of the huge amount of mobile users, carrier networks are not interested in tracking your current location through your mobile phone. No companies will ever track your place. If you have done nothing wrong, there is no need to hide yourself or hide your phone’s IMEI number. You are simply safe.

When police get access to this data, they will know your whereabouts. They can get in touch with the carrier network to get all the records which makes tracking an easier affair. So is legal for police to track mobile phone without even asking you?

In the US, according to New Jersey Supreme Court police needs a search warrant before asking going through a cell phone. However, US Court of Appears for the Fifth Circuit says there is no need for any permission or warrant to check a person’s cell phone — any police officer can request to track a person through the mobile phone number.

To answer you question, this depends on your location and your country. Some countries, actually many of them, do not entertain such hideous phone tracking techniques, unless your name is listed in their criminal records.