A federal appeals court has decided that government authorities can extract historical location data directly from telecommunications carriers without a search warrant, The New York Times reports. The court ruled that such searches are constitutional because location data is a “business record” and so is not protected by the Fourth Amendment, the report states. The decision could have implications for other government initiatives to collect metadata under the premise that it constitutes a business record. “It doesn’t make it a slam dunk, but it makes a good case for the government to argue that position,” said one expert. This follows a decision Monday on the searches of cell phones in general where judges said they believe it’s a matter for the Supreme Court. (Registration may be required to access this story.)
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