In a 6-3 decision, the US Supreme Court has ruled that police must obtain a warrant to access location data from cell phones in search of a suspect. The ruling, which was handed down on Monday, June 29, 2026, means that officers will no longer be able to use "geofence warrants" to capture location information without first obtaining a court order.
The case, Okello Chatrie v. United States, involved a Virginia man who was accused of robbing a bank in 2019. Police used a geofence warrant to identify him as a suspect by analyzing the location data from his cell phone and those of others in the area at the time of the robbery.
The Supreme Court's decision did not resolve Chatrie's case, but rather established that police must obtain a warrant before accessing such data. The court divided 6-3, with Justice Elena Kagan writing the opinion for the majority. Justices Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas dissented from the ruling.
Background:
- Geofence warrants allow police to access location data from cell phones by drawing a virtual fence around a specific area.
- In this case, police used such a warrant to identify Chatrie as a suspect in the 2019 bank robbery.
- The Supreme Court has previously ruled that law enforcement generally needs to establish probable cause before accessing cellphone tower data to identify suspects.
Impact:
- The ruling means that police must obtain a warrant to access location data from cell phones, which could limit their ability to use such warrants as a tool for investigating crimes.
- The decision is seen as a victory for civil liberties advocates who argue that the government should not have unfettered access to personal data.