WaExaminer: The U.S. Supreme Court ruled Friday in a blockbuster Fourth Amendment case that the government generally must have a warrant to obtain a cellphone user’s location information from a cellphone company.
The court ruled 5-4 in the case, and Chief Justice John Roberts wrote the majority opinion. He was joined by the liberal justices.
With its ruling, the Supreme Court reversed a ruling from the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals and sent the case back to the lower court.
“We decline to grant the state unrestricted access to a wireless carrier’s database of physical location information. In light of the deeply revealing nature of [cell site location information], its depth, breadth, and comprehensive reach, and the inescapable and automatic nature of its collection, the fact that such information is gathered by a third party does not make it any less deserving of Fourth Amendment protection,” Roberts wrote. “The government’s acquisition of the cell-site records here was a search under that amendment.” MORE
Except for 911 right? In an emergency I want them to know otherwise nope…
Legally they may need some silly paper
from a judge but electronically a few key
strokes on the computer and presto…No judge needed.
Radioationman knows these things.
Can they help me find my **###!!!+++ cell phone?!!!!
This is good news, long overdue.
But there will be many LEO laments. “But muh criminals’ll be harder to catch! Rapists! Pedophiles! Think of the chilluns!”
To me this seems good news. All they said is that if LEO wants to get that information they need to show probable cause and get a warrant. So I don’t understand why the conservative justices were opposed. Roberts was the tiebreaker in this case, siding with the lib judges.
Uncle Al, don’t be a dumbass, we use cell phone location information more to find suicidal people than criminals.
@Txn4Evr – Don’t be a dumbass yourself. Quantity is irrelevant.
Sounds great but the DOJ and the FBI know its just fluff for the general public, nothing they will have to deal with other than a phone call or two to a friend who knows a friend.
Just take a deep breath everyone. This is a good law and it’s not like the government would ever spy on us or listen in…………..
Oh shit, were f**ked.
Lying bastards.
If you’re up to no good, leave your cell phone at home. Problem solved!