Senators Investigating IRS Use of Cell Phone Tracking Device

The IRS is under investigation by two top senators for secret cell phone tracking systems known as Stingrays.

Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley and ranking member Patrick Leahy are demanding answers about the use of technology that picks up cell phone data.

It's often utlized by federal and local law enforcement agencies but has been a subject of past controversy.

In September, the Justice Department announced regulations that would require law enforcement to obtain warrants for its use because of the potential privacy violations.

Cell site-simulators, act as cellphone towers tricking cellphones to connect to them. This enables investigators to obtain identifying information about phones and their locations, reports the Washington Times.

The suitcase-sized StingRays are hauled around by law enformcent officers in vehicles and scoop up data on cellphones that are in close proximity.

IRS Commissioner, John Koskinen, admitted before the Senate Finance Committee that the agency does use this technology.

Now, Grassley and Leahy are demanding answers in a letter to Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew.

"We were surprised to learn that IRS investigators may be using these devices," they wrote. "While the devices can be useful tools for identifying the location of a suspect's cell phone or identifying an unknown cell phone, we have previously expressed concerns about the privacy implications of these devices."

The admission came after a report by The Guardian, which indicated that the IRS has spent more than $71,000 to upgrade a version of this device and receive training on its use.

"What it does is to primarily allow you to see point-to-point, where communications are taking place. It does not allow you to overhear — the technique doesn't — voice communications," Koskinen said. "You may pick up texting. But what I would stress is that it does follow Justice Department rules. It requires a court order."

The senators are also looking to find out how often they use the device, as well as how many devices are in their possession.