▁such ▁as ▁Ver int , ▁and ▁Nar us , ▁which ▁search ▁for ▁certain ▁words ▁or ▁phr ases , ▁to ▁decide ▁whether ▁to ▁dedic ate ▁a ▁human ▁agent ▁to ▁the ▁call . ▁ ▁Law ▁enfor cement ▁and ▁intelligence ▁services ▁in ▁the ▁United ▁Kingdom ▁and ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁possess ▁technology ▁to ▁activ ate ▁the ▁micro ph ones ▁in ▁cell ▁ph ones ▁rem ot ely , ▁by ▁accessing ▁ph ones ' ▁di agnostic ▁or ▁maintenance ▁features ▁in ▁order ▁to ▁listen ▁to ▁convers ations ▁that ▁take ▁place ▁near ▁the ▁person ▁who ▁holds ▁the ▁phone . ▁ ▁The ▁St ing R ay ▁tra cker ▁is ▁an ▁example ▁of ▁one ▁of ▁these ▁tools ▁used ▁to ▁monitor ▁cell ▁phone ▁usage ▁in ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁and ▁the ▁United ▁Kingdom . ▁Origin ally ▁developed ▁for ▁counter ter ror ism ▁purposes ▁by ▁the ▁military , ▁they ▁work ▁by ▁broadcast ing ▁powerful ▁signals ▁that ▁cause ▁nearby ▁cell ▁ph ones ▁to ▁transmit ▁their ▁I MS I ▁number , ▁just ▁as ▁they ▁would ▁to ▁normal ▁cell ▁phone ▁to wers . ▁Once ▁the ▁phone ▁is ▁connected ▁to ▁the ▁device , ▁there ▁is ▁no ▁way ▁for ▁the ▁user ▁to ▁know ▁that ▁they ▁are ▁being ▁track ed . ▁The ▁operator ▁of ▁the ▁st ing ray ▁is ▁able ▁to ▁extract ▁information ▁such ▁as ▁location , ▁phone ▁calls , ▁and ▁text ▁messages , ▁but ▁it ▁is ▁widely ▁believed ▁that ▁the ▁capabilities ▁of ▁the ▁St ing R ay ▁extend ▁much ▁further . ▁A ▁lot ▁of ▁controvers y ▁surr ounds ▁the ▁St ing R ay ▁because ▁of ▁its ▁powerful ▁capabilities ▁and ▁the ▁secre