Michigan Supreme Court: Unrestricted Phone Searches Violate Fourth Amendment
15 days ago
- #Fourth Amendment
- #Digital Privacy
- #Smartphone Searches
- Michigan Supreme Court ruled against overly broad warrants for phone searches, emphasizing digital privacy.
- In People v. Carson, warrants must specify limitations, allowing access only to crime-related data.
- Michael Carson's phone was searched without restrictions, exposing unrelated personal information, violating the Fourth Amendment.
- Smartphones contain vast personal data; unrestricted searches risk exposing more than physical searches ever could.
- ACLU and Electronic Frontier Foundation argued for strict digital search rules, citing phones as containing 'the sum of an individual’s private life.'
- A four-justice majority required precise warrants, detailing sought data and relevance, with magistrates confirming factual basis.
- Michigan aligns with courts recognizing unique digital data risks and the need for stronger privacy safeguards.