Pillar Investigates: USCCB gen sec Burrill resigns after sexual misconduct allegations

"According to commercially available records of app signal data obtained by The Pillar, a mobile device correlated to Burrill emitted app data signals from the location-based hookup app Grindr on a near-daily basis during parts of 2018, 2019, and 2020 — at both his USCCB office and his USCCB-owned residence, as well as during USCCB meetings and events in other cities."

I saw this story posted earlier, but I think the lead is not the resignation, it's the method used to get the story:

Commercially available app signal data does not identify the names of app users, but instead correlates a unique numerical identifier to each mobile device using particular apps. Signal data, collected by apps after users consent to data collection, is aggregated and sold by data vendors. It can be analyzed to provide timestamped location data and usage information for each numbered device.

The data obtained and analyzed by The Pillar conveys mobile app data signals during two 26-week periods, the first in 2018 and the second in 2019 and 2020. The data was obtained from a data vendor and authenticated by an independent data consulting firm contracted by The Pillar.

The Pillar correlated a unique mobile device to Burrill when it was used consistently from 2018 until at least 2020 from the USCCB staff residence and headquarters, from meetings at which Burrill was in attendance, and was also used on numerous occasions at Burrill’s family lake house, near the residences of Burrill’s family members, and at a Wisconsin apartment in Burrill’s hometown, at which Burrill himself has been listed as a resident.

So they bought the data, then hired a guy to analyze it, and were able to come up with all this.

I see a huge burgeoning industry for these analysts. It could almost replace private investigators, or PI's would need to learn how to do it.

We are not just talking about political opponents, but business competitors, civil lawsuits, husbands and wives, you name it.

My cell phone sits on my desk after 5:00 PM and most times during the day when I go out and about. Only carry it when working.

Newest car is over 14 years old and not equipped with any of that blue tooth stuff.

You would think in this day and age people out to do something bad would know to leave all that electronic stuff behind.

If you are a politician, or high profile person of any type, or expect to be involved in any conflicts over significant money, you might want to start thinking about what you’ve been doing on your cell phones over the past 5 or so years, because this could explode and be used every day in all sorts of situations.

“Amd on the 8th day, God invented the burner phone and it was good….”

*****

So they are triangulating your location to determine which phone is yours, as the marketing data is anonymized.

Burner phone works, but you can’t keep it with you, at your house, at your office, in your car, near your regular or work phone.

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