US Appeals Court Rules Geofence Warrants Are Unconstitutional

Holding my phone nervously, I watched as the glowing map loaded. I hit “search” and not for a restaurant or a ride this time, but for what could be a revolutionary shift in digital privacy rights. Recently, a U.S. appeals court ruled that geofence warrants — a tool often used by law enforcement to obtain location data from companies like Google — are unconstitutional. Curious about what this means for you and me? Let’s dive in.

What Are Geofence Warrants?

So, what’s the big deal about geofence warrants? In short, these are special requests that law enforcement can use to gather location data for all mobile devices within a specific area and timeframe. Imagine: a bank robbery happens, and police want to know who was nearby. They ask Google for a list of all devices in the area, hoping to catch the robber. Sounds useful, right?

Why Are They Unconstitutional?

However, this appeals court ruling decided that these warrants violate the Fourth Amendment. Why? Because they are considered too broad. They don’t target specific individuals suspected of a crime, and they risk scooping up data from innocent people — maybe even you or me strolling by unknowingly.

“Geofence warrants could lead to mass surveillance…