Download the ACLU of Maryland testimony on HB 887

ADVISORY FOR

February 26, 2013

CONTACT: Meredith Curtis, Communications Director, 410-889-8555; media@aclu-md.org 

Sara Love, Public Policy Director, 703-963-2710; love@aclu-md.org 

ANNAPOLIS - On February 26, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Maryland will testify to the House Judiciary Committee in support of House Bill 887, which would enable law enforcement to obtain cell phone tracking information upon obtaining a search warrant based upon probable cause. HB 887 balances individuals' privacy in the vast amount of personal information that is contained in location tracking information with enabling law enforcement to obtain this information in criminal investigations or emergency situations.

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 support of HB 887- Criminal Procedure - Search Warrants - Location Privacy. 

WHO:  Sara Love, Public Policy Director, ACLU of Maryland. Love will be available for media interviews.

WHEN: Tuesday, February 26, 2013; hearing begins at 1 PM. 

WHERE: House Judiciary Committee, House Office Building entrance, 6 Bladen St., Annapolis, MD.

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