Wireless Guide News

It’s been apparent for some time that the laws governing how police may obtain personal digital data have not kept up with the times.

But a New York Times story last week made clear just how crucial it is that lawmakers address the situation.

The story chronicled an explosion in law enforcement cellphone data requests, which totaled 1.3 million last year, according to figures supplied by nine major carriers.

The carriers said they generally required a warrant or some other legal order, but gray areas of the law and evolving technology have left them without clear standards for turning over data, particularly location or GPS coordinates.

Increasingly, law enforcement authorities are turning to the rich trove of cellphone data in order to solve crimes. And we have no qualms with that — such information should be a part of the toolbox that police bring to the table.

But there have to be clear standards that respect this country’s laws and constitutional privacy protections as the nation continues to march into the digital age.

The escalating reliance on cell data surprised even Rep. Edward Markey, who asked the carriers for law enforcement request data going back to 2007.

“I never expected it to be this massive,” Markey, D-Mass., was quoted as saying.

One carrier, AT&T, reported a tripling of requests…………… continues on Canon City Daily Record