Does it take 60 seconds to locate a phone call?

How do you detect a phone call? According to TV shows and movies, you just have to keep someone talking long enough for a detective to locate him.

While this overused rope can add some tension when paired with a timer that slowly marks, it doesn't really fit.

Before computers, there were switchboards

Before the global telephone system was computerized, calls were routed through a network of physical switches by an army of human operators. Traditionally, these operators were almost exclusively women (although the first were teenagers who were known for their rude language and unprofessional behavior).

When a call came in, the operator routed it to its destination by physically connecting it to a separate door on a plugboard. Later, however, automation gradually began to exert its influence.

In the late 19th century, the Almon Strowger company invented the world's first electromechanical step switch. Patented in 1891, this device allowed users to call others directly. While it took several decades for this invention to achieve commercial success, it eventually transformed a once-human task into one performed with the cool precision of a machines. This set the tone for the next century.

Over time, the technology used to automatically make calls has gradually become more sophisticated. Eventually, as the phones moved from the office and the payphone at home, it could handle larger quantities. People could make calls over longer distances. But the basic principles remained the same.

In those old days, call tracking was a complicated process. Without computer-generated metadata, the responsibility lay with the telephone company. He had to follow the winding path of a connection to switches and swaps to find out where it came from. The telephone company then handed it over to law enforcement.

This was a time consuming process, requiring a negotiator or a police officer to keep the call active as long as possible. If the suspect closed, the game was lost for good. They had to either try again or find another way to catch the criminal.

This is probably where Hollywood gets its inspiration. Of course, they get a little poetic leave. Call tracking inevitably took more than a minute or two to complete. But technical accuracy is often sacrificed on the altar of agony.

Call logs are now stored digitally

Eventually, computerization took place in the telecommunications sector. Gradually, he took on tasks, such as routing calls, previously performed by human or mechanical operators. This trend was momentary. On the consumer side, it has enabled new facilities such as caller ID and call waiting.

Από την άποψη της επιβολής του νόμου, απλοποίησε τις έρευνες. Οι κλήσεις δεν έπρεπε πλέον να εντοπιστούν χειροκίνητα σε διακόπτες. Ούτε η επιβολή του νόμου έπρεπε να παρακολουθεί τις κλήσεις σε πραγματικό χρόνο - θα μπορούσαν απλώς να δουν τα μεταδεδομένα που δημιουργούνται από τις κλήσεις.

Η λέξη μεταδεδομένα σημαίνει "δεδομένα σχετικά με δεδομένα". Στις τηλεπικοινωνίες, τα μεταδεδομένα περιλαμβάνουν πράγματα όπως από πού προήλθε μια κλήση και τον προορισμό της, καθώς και τον τύπο του τηλεφώνου (κινητό, σταθερό ή συνδρομητικό τηλέφωνο) που χρησιμοποιήθηκε.

Because these files are essentially small chunks of text that can easily be stored in a database data, οι τηλεφωνικές Companies μπορούν να τα διατηρήσουν για μεγάλο χρονικό διάστημα. Αυτό επιτρέπει στους ερευνητές να λαμβάνουν πληροφορίες σχετικά με μήνες κλήσης - ή ακόμα και χρόνια - μετά την πραγματοποίησή του.

The exact duration varies considerably between telephone companies and each has its own standards. There are also differences depending on the type of telephone and the telephone program used.

Το 2011, τα έγγραφα που διέρρευσαν από το FBI αποκάλυψαν ότι ορισμένες τηλεφωνικές εταιρείες διατηρούν αρχεία σχετικά με τις συνδρομές μετά την πληρωμή σημαντικά περισσότερο από εκείνα που γίνονται από προπληρωμένα τηλέφωνα ή τηλέφωνα "burner", τα οποία χρησιμοποιούνται συχνά από εγκληματίες.

Because call logs are now stored digitally, researchers can also access files with a level of immediacy that was not previously possible. Once all the legal documents have been created, it is simply a matter of searching for a file in a database.

Law enforcement does not have to wait

It is easier than ever for law enforcement to detect regular phone calls. You can thank the computer system for this.

Φυσικά, υπάρχουν και άλλοι τρόποι με τους οποίους οι εγκληματίες μπορούν να επικοινωνούν και να αποφεύγουν τη λεπτή μπλε γραμμή, όπως με VPN και κρυπτογραφημένες εφαρμογές φωνής. Αυτές οι περιπτώσεις δεν θα επιλυθούν τόσο εύκολα - ακόμη και αν περιμένετε λίγα λεπτά για να εντοπίσετε την κλήση.