
Supreme court considers limits on police tracking via mobile phone data - pmoriarty
https://www.theguardian.com/law/2017/nov/29/supreme-court-considers-limits-on-police-tracking-via-mobile-phone-data
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pmoriarty
Sotomayor warned: _" Right now we’re only talking about the cell sites
records, but as I understand it, a cell phone can be pinged in your bedroom.
It can be pinged at your doctor’s office. It can ping you in the most intimate
details of your life. Presumably at some point even in a dressing room as
you’re undressing. So I am not beyond the belief that some day a provider
could turn on my cell phone and listen to my conversations."_

It saddens me that these critically important issues are decided by people
like Sotomayor who clearly don't understand the technology that they're ruling
on.

First, cell phones don't "ping you" (though it's not even clear what she means
by the term). Cell phone towers locate the cell phone, and if you have your
cell phone on you, your location could be inferred from the location of the
cell phones.

What does it matter if you're undressing at the time the cell phone was
located? If she's objecting to the ability of a cell phone camera to take
pictures of you undressing, that's a different matter, but it doesn't really
sound like she is, as she's clearly ignorant of the fact that _right now_ cell
phones can in fact be used to listen to your conversations.

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maxerickson
You aren't addressing the substance of her point.

The government is arguing that a limited record pull is okay without a warrant
and she is pointing out circumstances that might coincide with the record pull
and asking where the warrantless searches would stop.

They full transcript is available:

[https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcr...](https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2017/16-402_d1o2.pdf)

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pmoriarty
I am not arguing with her main point. In fact, I agree with it. I am merely
lamenting that someone like her, who clearly doesn't understand the
technology, is getting to make the decision on so important an issue.

