Supreme Court Tightens Rules on Location Data Searches

“When police officers sweep up location data from cellphone users near crimes scenes, they must comply with the Fourth Amendment, the Supreme Court ruled on Monday in a modest victory for privacy rights in the digital age,” the New York Times reports.

“Such so-called geofence searches have become a popular tool for law enforcement, but critics say they put at risk the personal data of everyday Americans and violate the Fourth Amendment, which prohibits unreasonable searches and seizure.”