Sen Markey demands info on cellphone spying

Sen. Ed Markey (D-MA) pressed the Justice Department for more information on a program that collects Americans’ cellphone data using airplanes equipped with technology that mimics cellular towers.

"The sweeping nature of this program and the likely collection of sensitive records belonging to innocent consumers raise a number of important questions about how the Department protects the privacy of Americans, particularly those with no connection to unlawful activities," he wrote in a letter to Attorney General Eric Holder. Sen Markey said the information could be an important tool for law enforcement. He added in a statement accompanying the letter, however, that the public is "rightfully disturbed" by the pervasiveness of collection in recent years.