Fourth Amendment

Maine Committee Holds Hearing on Bill to Ban “Material Support or Resources” for Warrantless Federal Surveillance

Last week, a Maine committee held a hearing on a bill that would ban “material support or resources” for warrantless federal surveillance programs. The passage of the bill would take an essential step every state needs to take at a time when the federal government seems unlikely to ever end unconstitutional spying on its own.

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Maine Bill Would Ban “Material Support or Resources” for Warrantless Federal Surveillance

A bill introduced in the Maine Senate would ban “material support or resources” for warrantless federal surveillance programs. This is an essential step every state needs to take at a time when the federal government seems unlikely to ever end unconstitutional spying on its own.

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Arkansas Bill Would Ban “Material Support or Resources” for Warrantless Federal Surveillance

A bill introduced in the Arkansas House would ban “material support or resources” for warrantless federal surveillance programs. This is an essential step every state needs to take at a time when the federal government seems unlikely to ever end unconstitutional spying on its own.

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Oklahoma Bill Would Put Electronic Communications and Data Privacy Amendment on the Ballot

A resolution prefiled in the Oklahoma Senate would put a state constitutional amendment on the ballot to elevate the privacy of a person’s electronic communications and data to the same level as “persons, houses, papers and possessions.”

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Amendments to California Fourth Amendment Protection Act Needed to Give It Effect

It's difficult to come up with a scenario in which the law as chaptered would have any practical effect. That’s not to say there isn’t one, but it would become operative only in a very narrow range of circumstances. The California legislature can make a few simple fixes to the law to give it practical effect.

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Montana Voters Approve Constitutional Amendment to Treat Electronic Data as “Persons, Houses, Papers and Possessions”

Montana voters overwhelmingly approved a state constitutional amendment that elevates the privacy of a person’s electronic communications and data to the same level as “persons, houses, papers and possessions.”

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Feds Accessing Location Data from Millions of People Through Private Brokers

According to a recent report by the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), data brokers harvest location data from mobile apps and then sell it to government agencies including state and local law enforcement, ICE, the FBI, the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Defense.

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Supreme Court Refuses to Limit Warrantless Surveillance

According to the Supreme Court, the legality of NSA mass surveillance can't even be legally challenged. This was the message the Court sent when it refused to take up Jewel v. NSA, allowing an appellate court decision to stand.

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Signed as Law: Illinois Prohibits Warrantless Data Collection from Household Electronic Devices

Titled the Protecting Household Privacy Act, the new law prohibits government agencies from obtaining household electronic data or directing the acquisition of household electronic data from a private third party. Law enforcement can only access household electronic data with a warrant, with a few exceptions.

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