GPS Vehicle Tracking requires Warrant

… in the US, that is – we won’t pretend to speak for the rest of the world on this.

supcourt — GPS tracking requires warrant, says SC

The Supreme Court said Monday that law enforcement authorities might need a probable-cause warrant from a judge to affix a GPS device to a vehicle and monitor its every move — but the justices did not say that a warrant was needed in all cases.

So… what does this mean? Well, it basically means that the cops or feds or whatever law enforcement agency you’ve got sniffing at your tail needs to prove that you’re up to no good, and a court needs to agree. One life sentence based on a 28-day GPS tracking has been overturned.

“We hold that the government’s installation of a GPS device on a target’s vehicle, and its use of that device to monitor the vehicle’s movements, constitutes a ‘search,’” Justice Antonin Scalia wrote for the five-justice majority. The majority declined to say whether that search was unreasonable and required a warrant.

A search requires a warrant, in most cases. The Supreme court did say, apparently, that a warrant was required only for tracking over longer time periods, which is a little worrying for the privacy advocates. This is, however, a step in the right direction.

We’ve written a small guide to finding such devices on your vehicle, if you’re worried about those black sedans that keep showing up wherever you’re at – or if you think that repo truck might be following you for a reason.

Here it is.