Nevada police may be tracking your phone's location without a warrant

7 hours ago

Nevada police have a contract with Fog Data Science allowing warrantless real-time phone location tracking via data from smartphone apps.
The software enables tracking of devices over extended periods, revealing 'patterns of life' such as home, work, associations, and visited places.
Privacy experts and civil liberties advocates express concerns about Fourth Amendment violations and lack of public awareness regarding data sharing with police.
The contract, costing about $12,000 annually and funded by a federal grant, bypassed typical approval processes, avoiding broader governmental review.
Fog Data collects location data through advertising IDs from apps that resell user information, with queries allowing access to device-specific or area-wide data.
Legal challenges cite the Carpenter v. United States Supreme Court case, which requires warrants for detailed cell location data, suggesting potential unconstitutionality.
The technology raises fears of mass surveillance, including tracking protesters or innocent individuals, with limited accountability and audit mechanisms.

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