Texas Police Equip Tahoes with Israeli Falconet Cell Tower Simulators for Mobile Phone Data Interception
Falconet from Israeli company Cognite serves as a cell tower simulator that intercepts cell phone data from all devices within range. Police mount these systems in Tahoes so the vehicles can collect information while driving through areas without any direct interaction with targets.
This mobile approach generates ongoing records of phone locations and communications for everyone nearby rather than only suspects, which creates comprehensive movement profiles and bypasses traditional warrant requirements under the Fourth Amendment.
Cognite sells the technology directly to U.S. agencies, as shown by the Texas Department of Public Safety purchase of four Tahoes where over three point eight million dollars went to the interception equipment. Adoption spreads through routine vehicle procurement with little external review of how the collected data is stored or shared.
Once active the systems permit warrantless collection of private cell phone data across entire communities during normal patrols, which enables potential misuse and leaves individuals with no effective way to discover or contest the surveillance. The Electronic Frontier Foundation analyzes cell site simulator risks and the American Civil Liberties Union provides resources for communities pursuing stronger oversight and limits on these tools.
Sources
Electronic Frontier Foundation. Cell Site Simulators / IMSI Catchers. EFF, 2025.
https://www.eff.org/issues/cell-site-simulators
This page details how cell tower simulators intercept phone data from all devices in range and the resulting privacy and Fourth Amendment concerns.
American Civil Liberties Union. Stingrays and Other Cell Site Simulators. ACLU, 2024.
This resource documents the use of mobile interception systems by law enforcement and gaps in oversight and warrant requirements.
Forbes. Israel’s Palantir Rival Is Selling $1 Million Spy Vans To U.S. Cops. Forbes, 2025.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/cybersecurity/2025/
This article covers Cognite’s Falconet technology and its marketing to U.S. police departments for vehicle-based surveillance.
Brennan Center for Justice. The Surveillance Gap: How New Technologies Expand Police Power. Brennan Center, 2024.
https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/research-reports/surveillance-gap
This analysis examines how mobile surveillance tools create broad data collection that exceeds original investigative justifications.
Institute for Justice. Challenging Government Surveillance. IJ, 2025.
https://ij.org/issues/surveillance/
This page outlines legal strategies communities can use to contest warrantless cell data interception and demand greater transparency.