Twelve senators have asked the Federal Communications Commission to investigate complaints against the state and local law enforcement agencies’ use of surveillance devices that simulate cellphone towers to gather cellphone identification and location information.

Some complaints filed with FCC alleged that cell-site simulators disrupt consumers’ cellular service, can potentially interfere with emergency communications including 911 calls and are used more frequently in minority neighborhoods, the senators said Thursday in a letter to FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler.

The lawmakers added that reports also claimed that law enforcement agencies do not have required licenses to operate Stingray devices over wireless spectrum.

They told FCC to provide information on Stingray and HailStorm devices’ transmission range as well as the size of their interference area if these devices disrupt mobile communications.

The senators inquired whether law enforcement agencies need authorization from FCC to operate over licensed spectrum and whether FCC has related oversight procedures in place.

FCC should also disclose whether cell site simulators have been tested in a real world setting; which law enforcement agencies own cell site simulators; and what measures police departments take to minimize the impact of Stingray devices on consumers, the letter stated.

Senators also asked FCC to explain why equipment authorization granted to Stingray manufacturers require law enforcement officials to sign non-disclosure agreements.

The letter was signed by Sens. Al Franken, Patrick Leahy, Ron Wyden, Sherrod Brown, Edward Markey, Elizabeth Warren, Jeffrey Merkley, Tammy Baldwin, Bernard Sanders, Tom Udall, Martin Heinrich and Christopher Coons.

A study released by the Brookings Institution has found that the economic cost of temporary internet shutdowns that occurred in various parts of the world between July 1, 2015 and June 30, 2016 reached at least $2.4 billion.

Darrell West – vice president and director of governance studies and founding director of the Brookings Institution’s Center for Technology Innovation — wrote in an article published Thursday the findings were based on his analysis of 81 short-term internet disruptions  across 19 countries over the 12-month period.

He said he considered the percentage of gross domestic product in each country he studied in order to calculate the economic impact of government interferences with digital networks.

According to West, national internet shutdowns in the past year caused economic losses of roughly $968 million for India, $465 million for Saudi Arabia and $320 million for Morocco.

He also cited a study by University of Washington researchers that identified 606 circumstances wherein 99 different governments interfered with cyber operations “deliberately” between 1995 and the early part of 2011.

The UW research team also found that government officials ordered those disruptions to safeguard government authority, reduce public dissidence, prevent terror attacks, maintain national security or protect local businesses.

Gen. Gustave Perna, commander of the U.S. Army Materiel Command, has said he believes additive manufacturing has potential applications in the service branch’s prepositioned stocks and depots, the Army reported Thursday.

C. Todd Lopez writes Perna said Wednesday at the Association of the U.S. Army’s annual meeting and exposition the three-dimensional printing method could help reduce the military branch’s supply chain requirements and facilitate on-demand production of materials in support of warfighters and commanders on the battlefield.

He also noted the need for the Army to collaborate with industry on the issue of intellectual property in relation to the service branch’s adoption of the additive manufacturing process, Lopez reports.

“Up front, in the acquisition process, we’ll have to come to terms with owning the intellectual property for the things we’ve purchased,” Perna said.

“If we don’t own the intellectual property, we won’t be able to really utilize the additive manufacturing to its fullest capability,” he added.

Other programs Perna mentioned at the event include the Army’s Strategic Portfolio Analysis and Review and rapid capabilities office, the report said.