The Florida Supreme Court recently ruled law enforcement officials in Florida need a warrant to use new cell phone tracking technology. This could affect a civil rights group’s effort to find out how police in Florida use Stingray technology.
The American Civil Liberties Union of Florida has been asking local police departments for information about how they use Stingrays.
This controversial cell phone tracking technology is being used differently across the country and activists want to know whether or not they are violating constitutional rights.
Florida’s Supreme Court ruled that using the technology without a warrant is unconstitutional.
Michael Barfield has been helping the ACLU get information about the use of Stingrays in Sarasota. He said this ruling could help them get records from Sarasota police, which has been shielding documents.
“We think that’s a compelling basis for the court to conclude that this type of information should be released and we should know how many times citizens in Florida have been subjected to unconstitutional searches without their knowledge or awareness,” Barfield said.
Barfield said the ruling protects Fourth Amendment rights across the state.
He said an ongoing effort to get more information from police around the country is not over.
