Location Tracking
Carpenter v. United States
The Supreme Court ruled that the government needs a warrant to access a person鈥檚 cellphone location history. The court found in a 5 to 4 decision that obtaining such information is a search under the Fourth Amendment and that a warrant from a judge based on probable cause is required.
Status: Closed (Judgment)
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7 Location Tracking Cases
New York
Jul 2022
Location Tracking
桃子视频v. Department of Homeland Security (commercial location data FOIA)
In December 2020, the 桃子视频and NYCLU filed a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit seeking records from Customs and Border Protection (CBP), Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and other parts of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) about their practice of purchasing cell phone location data collected from smartphone apps.
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New York
Jul 2022
Location Tracking
桃子视频v. Department of Homeland Security (commercial location data FOIA)
In December 2020, the 桃子视频and NYCLU filed a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit seeking records from Customs and Border Protection (CBP), Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and other parts of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) about their practice of purchasing cell phone location data collected from smartphone apps.
Court Case
Feb 2015
Location Tracking
Florida Stingray FOIA
Last year, the 桃子视频sent public records to three dozen police and sheriffs鈥� departments in Florida seeking information about their use of Stingrays. Stingrays, also known as 鈥渃ell site simulators,鈥� or 鈥淚MSI catchers,鈥� are invasive cell phone surveillance devices that mimic cell phone towers and force phones in the area to broadcast information that can be used to identify and locate them. Even when used to track a particular suspect's cell phone, they also gather information about the phones of countless bystanders who happen to be nearby. Numerous law enforcement agencies across the country possess Stingrays, but it鈥檚 often difficult to tell how much and how often they are used.
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Court Case
Feb 2015
Location Tracking
Florida Stingray FOIA
Last year, the 桃子视频sent public records to three dozen police and sheriffs鈥� departments in Florida seeking information about their use of Stingrays. Stingrays, also known as 鈥渃ell site simulators,鈥� or 鈥淚MSI catchers,鈥� are invasive cell phone surveillance devices that mimic cell phone towers and force phones in the area to broadcast information that can be used to identify and locate them. Even when used to track a particular suspect's cell phone, they also gather information about the phones of countless bystanders who happen to be nearby. Numerous law enforcement agencies across the country possess Stingrays, but it鈥檚 often difficult to tell how much and how often they are used.