The Supreme Court will decide the constitutionality of 'geofence warrants,' a controversial police tool that collects cellphone location data from everyone near a crime scene, raising significant privacy concerns.
The Supreme Court has agreed to review the constitutionality of 'geofence warrants,' a method increasingly used by law enforcement to gather location history data from all cellphone users within a specific area and time frame near a crime scene. This pivotal case stems from a 2019 bank robbery in suburban Richmond, Virginia, where police used a geofence warrant on Google to identify and arrest Okello Chatrie. Chatrie's lawyers argue that such warrants violate privacy by indiscriminately collecting data from individuals with no connection to the crime, while prosecutors claim Chatrie had no expectation of privacy after opting into Google's Location History. A federal judge initially found the search violated Chatrie's rights but allowed the evidence, citing the officer's reasonable belief in its legality. Federal appeals courts have issued conflicting rulings on these warrants, highlighting the need for Supreme Court clarification. The case is expected to be argued later this year, potentially setting a precedent for digital privacy.
