Supreme Court Rules Police Need Warrant to Track Cell Phones
- 6 years ago
Supreme Court Rules
Police Need Warrant
to Track Cell Phones Police must now obtain a search warrant to gain access to a person’s cell phone location information, marking a huge win for
privacy advocates. In the 5-4 ruling, the court said obtaining the data without a warrant is an example of an unreasonable search and seizure, which violates the Fourth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. Chief Justice John Roberts wrote the decision and said it does not cover precedents already set for warrantless “traditional surveillance techniques.” Data collection for national security purposes or police emergencies will still not require warrants. The decision stems from a string of robberies at T-Mobile and Radio Shack stores in 2010 and 2011, in which police used cell phone tracking records to convict the suspect, Timothy Carpenter. Carpenter appealed, arguing that police needed a search warrant before apprehending him.
Police Need Warrant
to Track Cell Phones Police must now obtain a search warrant to gain access to a person’s cell phone location information, marking a huge win for
privacy advocates. In the 5-4 ruling, the court said obtaining the data without a warrant is an example of an unreasonable search and seizure, which violates the Fourth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. Chief Justice John Roberts wrote the decision and said it does not cover precedents already set for warrantless “traditional surveillance techniques.” Data collection for national security purposes or police emergencies will still not require warrants. The decision stems from a string of robberies at T-Mobile and Radio Shack stores in 2010 and 2011, in which police used cell phone tracking records to convict the suspect, Timothy Carpenter. Carpenter appealed, arguing that police needed a search warrant before apprehending him.