View source for Trap and trace device

{{short description|Phone call routing process}}
{{One source|date=August 2021}}
A '''trap and trace device''' captures incoming [[phone call]]s to a particular number, similar to a how a [[pen register]] captures outgoing phone calls.

== Description ==
Title 18 of the [[United States Code]] defines a '''trap and trace device''' as follows:

: The term "trap and trace device" means a device or process which captures the incoming electronic or other impulses which identify the originating number or other dialing, routing, addressing, and signaling information reasonably likely to identify the source of a wire or electronic communication, provided, however, that such information shall not include the contents of any communication {{ref|18USC3127-3}}

A trap and trace device shows what numbers had called a specific [[telephone]]—i.e., all ''incoming'' phone numbers. A pen register rather would show what numbers a phone had called, i.e. all ''outgoing'' phone numbers. The two terms are often used in concert, especially in the context of Internet communications. They are often jointly referred to as "Pen Register or Trap and Trace devices" to reflect the fact that the same program will probably do both functions in the modern era, and the distinction is not that important. The term "pen register" is often used to describe both pen registers and trap and trace devices.{{Citation needed|date=September 2019}}

== Relevance to USA PATRIOT Act ==
Uses of trap and trace devices are a [[sunset provision]] of the [[USA PATRIOT Act]]. Prior to the enactment of the USA PATRIOT Act, the [[Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act]] was exempt from laws regarding the acquisition of "dialing, routing, addressing, or signaling information, ... provided, however, that such information shall not include the contents of any communication."<ref name="Definitions">[https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/18/3127 18 U.S.C. §&nbsp;3127] – Definitions for chapter</ref> Along with giving the government easier access to communications between the sender and receiver, section 214 of PATRIOT ACT eliminated the prerequisite that the government prove that the suspect is, "an agent of foreign power".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.epic.org/privacy/terrorism/usapatriot/sunset.html|title=USA PATRIOT Act Sunset|website=www.epic.org}}</ref> The use of trap and trace orders are still prohibited for activities that are protected under the First Amendment.

== Notes ==
# {{note|18USC3127-4}} {{usc|18|3127(4)}}

== References ==
<references />

== External links ==
* http://epic.org/privacy/terrorism/usapatriot/sunset.html
* https://web.archive.org/web/20090305022104/http://www.usdoj.gov/criminal/cybercrime/PatriotAct.htm

[[Category:Law enforcement equipment]]
[[Category:Telephony]]


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