Winnipeg police say they have technology that can be used to listen to private calls, read text messages

Cell phones are a daily part of most of our lives. We use them to reach out to family, friends and strangers without a second thought.

However, imagine if someone was listening in on those calls, or reading your text messages without your knowledge. This technology does exist, and is known as "Stingray" or "cell site simulators".

"It's not just a wiretap," said lawyer Matt Nathanson. "This device is a wiretap on steroids."

The Winnipeg Police Service acknowledges that is has this technology.

In a statement to CTV News, WPS said, "it is only deployed under judicial authorization, or in exigent circumstances. We are concerned that providing too much information about investigative techniques could jeopardize active investigations and threaten public and officer safety. As such, we will not be providing the number of CSS technicians employed by the WPS, nor the number of investigations conducted using this device in 2015 and 2016."

"I think the end does sometimes justify the means," said Arthur Schafer, founding Director of the Centre for Professional and Applied Ethics. "But we've got to be sure the means we use are the least invasive."

However, the B.C. Civil Liberties Association has expressed concerns that Stingrays are invading people's privacy, since they can pick up law abiding citizens calls too.

"I would want to be sure there are safeguards in place about who has access to the information, and how long police keep it,” said Schafer.

The Winnipeg Police Service tells CTV News it “does respect the privacy of innocent bystanders. The collected data does not include phone numbers or any other personal identifying information or data. The collected data relating to third parties is preserved and not accessed by anyone other than the CSS technicians, until ordered otherwise by an appropriate court."

Just because the police have the Stingray, or cell site simulator technology, it doesn't mean they're listening to calls in its vicinity.

Law enforcement sometimes uses the technology to simply track a suspect's movement.

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  B.C. Civil Liberties Association has expressed concerns that Stingrays are invading people's privacy, since they can pick up law abiding citizens calls too.