Victory for Cell Phone Privacy

07-22-2014 • Next News Network

For the first time since 9/11, cell phone privacy advocates claimed a major victory in phone surveillance. In a landslide ruling, Supreme Court justices voted nine-to-nothing that police will be required to obtain a warrant before searching a cell phone from now on. The ruling stated that "technology now allows an individual to carry such information in his hand does not make the information any less worthy of the protection for which the Founders fought. Our answer to the question of what police must do before searching a cell phone seized incident to an arrest is accordingly simple — get a warrant." Chief Justice John Roberts admitted that this ruling will make it harder for police to stop crime in advance, but decided that's no reason to give cops a shortcut. There's a major difference between a cell phone and other general items that may be found on someone's person. Cell phones hold a host of personal information that could prompt police to draw unfair conclusions. For instance, s