Geofence Warrants Are 'Categorically' Unconstitutional | Electronic Frontier Foundation

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Geofence warrants allow law enforcement to use databases in order to determine who was in a particular area at a certain time. 

These search warrants are used to compel private companies to hand over geolocation data on all users and devices in a specific “geofence” area. These warrants are atypical because they don’t name a particular suspect or group, instead they are used to obtain information indiscriminately. 

Is there a “reasonable expectation of privacy” regarding geolocation data? 

•  Companies like Fog Data Science buy billions of cell phone-location data points and then state and local police are able to buy access to its database for less than $10,000 a year.

There is a billion dollar industry in selling surveillance tools and data to private companies and the government. Courts will likely decide that geofence warrants are unconstitutional, but Americans need comprehensive federal laws for this decision to be truly effective. 

Reason Magazine

Geofencing Warrants Are a Threat to Privacy

Project on Government Oversight (POGO)

Geofence Warrants: The Last Piece of the Location Privacy Puzzle

WIRED

4 days ago

Geofence Warrants Ruled Unconstitutional—but That's Not the End of It | WIRED

Geofence Warrants Are 'Categorically' Unconstitutional 

School is back in session, so prepare for your first lesson from EFF! Today you'll learn about the latest court ruling on the dangers of geofence warrants, our letter urging Bumble to require opt-in consent to sell user data, and the continued fight against the UN Cybercrime Treaty.

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EFFECTOR 36.11 - Geofence Warrants Are 'Categorically' Unconstitutional

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