EFF and ACLU file amicus brief urging Ninth Circuit to deem reverse location warrants unconstitutional

ما الذي حدث

The Electronic Frontier Foundation and the ACLU filed an amicus brief in the Ninth Circuit in United States v. Spurlock, challenging the constitutionality of "tower dump" warrants that compel cellular providers to disclose location data for all phones in a defined area. The brief argues that such reverse location searches are general warrants prohibited by the Fourth Amendment, citing the Supreme Court’s recent decision on geofence warrants. It also calls for limits on warrant scope, notice to individuals, and mandatory deletion of irrelevant data.

لماذا يهم ذلك للثقة والامتثال

• Its status is filed. The case is still open; the outcome may change what it means.
• The filing could shape how courts treat mass location surveillance, potentially restricting police use of tower dump warrants.

Who is affected

Recommended actions

1. Check that privacy notices describe the practices this addresses.
2. Confirm access, correction, deletion and opt-out requests are handled within the required time.
3. Revisit retention schedules and data minimisation for the data involved.