ACLU and Bipartisan Supporters Urge Passage of Bill to Check GPS Tracking by Police

Maine law enforcement won’t be able to track a suspect’s cell phone and other electronic devices without obtaining a search warrant once the LD 415 bill has been passed. The bill is backed by legislators, conservative activists, ACLUE of Maine, and technology experts.
“Privacy law legislators could never have thought about the technology being used in the here and now; therefore, new laws must be formulated to ensure the protection of mobile phone users”, Sen. Katz said. The bill is going to increase privacy for smartphone users. However, the police can also arrest bad people by keeping tabs on their cell phones.
Some USA police departments do obtain a search warrant prior to tracking the present or past location of an individual. There is no standard law in order to make the law enforcement obtain a warrant before monitoring an individual’s cell phone across the state, though.
While some police departments around the country obtain a warrant before obtaining an individual’s present or historical location information, there is no statewide standard in Maine. LD 415 would require law enforcement to obtain a probable cause warrant in most instances before obtaining location data, with some emergency exceptions.
Shenna Bellows (Executive director of the ACLUE of Maine) says, “Now, it is not reasonable to say ‘do not use cell phones if you are concerned about your privacy’. Smartphones and GPS devices have become part of our day-to-day life, and the police should not be allowed to check on our mobile phones unnecessarily.