Cell Phone Jammers Might Be Nice, But Illegal
Sitting in a theater, trying to enjoy a movie and someone talking on their cell phone can be so annoying. Since they obviously missed the notice before the movie started about turning off cell phones and the dirty looks from those around them have not done anything to quiet them down, would it not be nice to have cell phone jammers to cut the conversation short? Although such things do exist and they work very well they are not available for private use in the United States or in Europe.
Simply owning one in the United States is illegal and the use of cell phone jammers is restricted to law enforcement and the military. They are often used to control cell phone traffic in times of emergency, insuring emergency traffic is not bogged down by a surge in cell phone use by passers-by. Additionally, cell phone jammers can be used to cut communications between targets of an investigation leading to a pending approach by law enforcement officers.
There are other reasons the use of cell phone jammers is outlawed in most countries, including the fact that they can interfere with the use of medical devices such as pacemakers. They can also have an ill affect on navigational equipment in airplanes and GOS navigation in vehicles.
Limiting Communications Between Criminals
The use of cell phone jammers by law enforcement is designed to limit the communications between suspected criminal elements, hopefully limiting their ability to regroup and combine their forces. Whether a small handheld unit is used to effectively create a dead zone within a 50 or 60-foot area, or one that is mounted on a truck that can shut down communications over several miles, its used is considered a great tool for law enforcement.
There is also the risk of someone using one during a flight and sending all of the navigational computers on an aircraft into total chaos. While they would need to be on the plane, the risk is not worth allowing cell phone jammers to be legally available. While they can be bought in many southeast Asian countries legally, they are not supposed to ship them to countries that have them banned.
While merely owning cell phone jammers is illegal, tracking their use would require sophisticated equipment to triangulate their use as well as a large number of personnel on the ground. Despite the high odds of being caught using cell phone jammers, the fine and punishment is pretty high and for most people simply not worth the benefit.
