SEN. KONNI BURTON APPLAUDS UNITED STATES SUPREME COURT DECISION ON CELL PHONE LOCATION DATA PRIVACY
Burton authored similar legislation protecting cellular telephone privacy during prior legislative sessions
COLLEYVILLE, TX – In her continued defense of the peoples’ constitutional rights, State Senator Konni Burton (R-Colleyville) expressed wholehearted support for the United States Supreme Court’s decision in Carpenter v. United States that held that the Fourth Amendment protects individuals from unwarranted searches of their cellular device records.
On Friday, June 22nd, 2018, the court held that cellular telephone location data maintained by a third party cannot be obtained by authorities in connection with a criminal investigation without a warrant supported by probable cause.
“I am pleased to see that the court is reinforcing the reasonable expectation of privacy for individuals who carry cell phones. The court has affirmed that the Fourth Amendment will remain strong in our digital age. I commend them for this precedent as I have also sought to protect citizens’ digital information from unwarranted government intrusion here in Texas.”
During previous legislative sessions, Burton authored Senate Bills 1864 (2015) and 1823 (2017); both bills would protect an individual’s cellular telephone data from unwarranted search. In 2015, she passed House Bill 1396 (2015) that required police to obtain a warrant before searching an individual’s personal cellular device.
Senator Burton serves Senate District 10 which includes Fort Worth and surrounding areas in Southern and Northeast Tarrant County. Burton is also a member of the Senate Criminal Justice Committee.