Supreme Court: Cops can’t search your cell phone without a warrant

[avcpl]

http://bgr.com/2014/06/25/cell-phone-search-warrant/

In order to reach this decision, the justices looked at two cases involving cell phone searches. In one case, the San Diego Police were able to connect one man to a gang based on pictures stored on his cell phone. In the other, a picture on one man’s flip phone helped link him to a stash of crack cocaine. In future cases, the officers will need a warrant to conduct searches like these, regardless of whether or not the cell phone is likely to contain evidence tying the suspect to the crime.

 

[LSDiesel]

Can they still look through it if they have probable cause/reasonable suspicion?

 

[FunctionalOlfactio]

Can they still look through it if they have probable cause/reasonable suspicion?

The Obama administration opposed this ruling and I admire their integrity. They knew if the Supreme Court made this decision the federal government would would continue braking the law regardless of the Supreme Courts decision.

Officially they need an actual warrant but, this is irrelevant. Warrants were also officially required to record phone calls or read emails. The N.S.A. circumvented this using secret courts and decisions made by non elected officials civilians don't know exist. The A.C.L.U. even challenged this illegal warantless surveillance and in February 2013 the Supreme Court (the highest court in America) lied and told the A.C.L.U. this wasn't happening and they didn't have evidence.* In June 2013 Edward Snowden released documents proving the A.C.L.U. was correct and the Supreme court had lied and massive illegal warantless wire taping was occurring.** Then, public opinion was manipulated by secret government censors (who officially don't exist) and access to this information was convoluted, arguably in violation of the constitutional right of free speech.

So in summary, the goverment needs an actual warrant if they search your phone, but don't expect this law will be followed by any goverment agency higher than your local police department.

*https://www.aclu.org/national-secur...lus-challenge-nsa-warrantless-wiretapping-law
**http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Global_surveillance_disclosures_(2013–present)

 

[FunctionalOlfactio]

Americans miss the details.

At the U.S. border, police can still search your phone without a warrant
http://www.dailydot.com/politics/supreme-court-phone-warrant-us-border/

This is the beginning of many loop holes and technicalities effectively nullifying the ruling in many important places.