Page 12 - KDU Law Journal Volume 4 Issue 2
P. 12
KDU Law Journal Volume 04 Issue II
September, 2024
States, the Supreme Court held that law enforcement officials
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must obtain a warrant to access historical cell phone location data.
The Court held that individuals have reasonable expectancy in
the privacy of their location data, and therefore, law enforcement
must meet the standard of probable cause to access such data .
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This decision recognized the importance of protecting individuals’
digital footprints from unwarranted intrusion by the government,
thereby affirming the significance of privacy in the digital age.
In the case of United States vs Jones , the Supreme Court held that
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the government installation of a GPS tracking device on a suspect’s
car constituted a violation of the Fourth Amendment protection
against unreasonable search and seizures. The court emphasized
that the use of surveillance through GPS infringes the privacy of a
person. This case highlighted the need for clear guidelines on the
use of surveillance technology by government agencies and set a
precedent for protecting individuals from unwarranted government
intrusion.
In the case of United States vs Miller , addressed the privacy rights
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of financial records held by banks. The Supreme Court held that
individuals do not have a reasonable expectation of privacy in their
bank records, as they voluntarily disclose this information to a third
party. This case establishes the “third-party doctrine”, which allows
law enforcement to access certain types of personal information
without a warrant. This decision has significant implications for
modern-day privacy concerns, particularly in the context of digital
data collection and surveillance by tech companies and government
agencies.
6 Carpenter vs. United States (2018) 585 U.S
7 Privacy Law Library, National Law University Delhi,( https://nluwebsite.s3.ap-south-1.
amazonaws.com/uploads/carpenter-vs-united-states-5.pdf) accessed 5 December 2023.
th
8 United States vs Jones (2012) 565 U.S. 400.
9 United States vs Miller (1976) 425 U.S 435
law.faculty@kdu.ac.lk
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