Cell Phone Location Tracking (H 7190, S 2367)

In February, the ACLU testified in favor of regulating the collection of cell phone location information by law enforcement. Part of a comprehensive package of legislation by the ACLU aimed at protecting privacy, legislation would have barred law enforcement from obtaining cell phone location information from telecommunications companies without a warrant, except in certain emergency situations.  In 2013 the General Assembly made it easier for telecommunications companies to share cell phone location information with any entity, for any reason, exacerbating existing concerns about the rampant use of cell phone location information.  This legislation would have implemented a warrant requirement, unless law enforcement were seeking location information in an emergency dealing with a threat of death or serious physical injury. By the end of the session, however, neither the House nor the Senate committee had voted on the legislation.