Location Tracking (H 7167A, S 2403)

Approximately every seven seconds, the cell phone you carry pings the nearest tower to give you the best cellular service. These pings are recorded by your telecommunications provider, and allow your location to be pinpointed within fifty meters, even if your GPS is not on. This information paints a complete picture of your life, and can be made available to law enforcement at their simple request. In June, the House and Senate approved legislation requiring law enforcement to obtain a warrant before requesting location information, except in emergencies dealing with the threat of death or serious physical injury. The ACLU testified before the House Judiciary committee in support of this legislation in February, and before the Senate Judiciary committee in March. In 2013, the General Assembly made it even easier for telecommunications companies to share cell phone location information with any entity, for any reason, making this legislation all the more necessary to protect privacy.