The U.S. Supreme Court ruled 6-3 that law enforcement use of geofence warrants constitutes a search under the Fourth Amendment. This decision affirms that individuals maintain a reasonable expectation of privacy regarding their cell phone location records.
Justice Elena Kagan wrote for the majority, stating that police intrude on constitutionally protected interests when demanding location data from third-party tech companies. The ruling establishes that these digital searches now require heightened judicial scrutiny.
The case, Chatrie v. United States, originated after police used Google location data from all devices near a bank robbery to identify a suspect. The Supreme Court returned the case to a lower court to determine if the specific warrant met particularity and probable cause requirements.