Court to hear IR heat signature case

[tw]

Originally posted by Dagnabit
Hey, yeah, they did say that in this case, if he had purchased lights that have cooling systems, he would have an expectation of privacy. That makes no sense at all with modern technologies. Every wireless caller has an expectation of privacy. Probably only 5% know whether their phone contains any encryption or whatnot. Nobody expects their body temperature to be broadcast 100 yards.

All analog phone conversations and most portable phone conversations have no privacy. No intelligent person should ever have expectantions for privacy unless the product specifically claims such protection. Some portable phones are encrypted or use frequency hopping; therefore inform you of this privacy feature. In Cell Phones, only digital, such as Qualcomm's CDMA, provides privacy.

"Every wireless caller has an expectation of privacy" is simply not based upon common sense. Tune your TV to the Channel 82 regions to listen to cell phone conversations. Where is that privacy?

Your expectations of privacy are only when you make the extra effort to obtain that privacy. Landlines have that expectation of privacy. Portable phones do not, if not expressly stated. For that matter, AT&T analog cell phone have an option where the user can listen in on every other call being handled by that cell. Read the book "Takedown".

I expect anyone who transmits their body temperature to be observable at 100 yards just like you transmit the color of your clothes to TV cameras every day. We were measuring same thermals in Texas back in early 1980s. This is not rocket science. It is a simple, conventional electromagnetic receiver; similar in concept to a radio receiever. You transmit electromagnetic waves - be it light, heat, radio, gamma, etc - then you have no expectations of privacy - unless you take sufficient measures to protect your privacy.