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ANNAPOLIS - On February 5, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Maryland will testify to the House Judiciary Committee in opposition to legislation that would create a low standard that law enforcement would have to meet before obtaining cell phone tracking information. Because personal and often private information can be revealed by cell phone location tracking, the ACLU will insist that law enforcement should obtain a search warrant based upon probable cause before accessing this information. The stakes are enormous: In 2011, cell phone carriers responded to at least 1.3 million requests for subscriber information from law enforcement.
Statement of Sara Love, Public Policy Director of ACLU of Maryland: "Of all of the recent technological developments that have expanded the surveillance capabilities of law enforcement agencies at the expense of individual privacy, perhaps the most powerful is cell phone location tracking. All cell phones register their location with cell phone networks several times a minute, and knowing a person's location over time reveals a great deal about who a person is and what he or she values. That is why the government should have to obtain a search warrant based upon probable cause before tracking cell phones."
WHAT: Hearing in the House Judiciary Committee in support of HB 377- Criminal Procedure - Court Order - Location of Mobile Communications Device
WHO: Sara Love, Public Policy Director, ACLU of Maryland. Love will be available for media interviews.
WHEN: Tuesday, February 5, 2013; hearing begins at 1 PM.
WHERE: House Judiciary Committee, House Office Building entrance, 6 Bladen St., Annapolis, MD.
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