The Supreme Court agreed on Monday to hear a case examining whether law enforcement can seize and search a cellphone user’s records to reveal that person’s locations and movements.
The case of Carpenter v. United States hinges on the government’s acquisition of location data in 2011 on Timothy Carpenter, a suspect in a criminal investigation in Detroit, without a warrant. Carpenter appealed to the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals, which decided that no warrant is required to seize such materials under the Fourth Amendment of the Constitution.
Carpenter’s counsel and the American Civil Liberties Union subsequently sought review on his behalf to the Supreme Court, which granted the case on Monday. The case is the latest challenge involving privacy, technology and governmental surveillance to arrive at the high court.
