Author Topic: Cops can track you via GPS, no warrant required  (Read 4584 times)

Offline idolminds

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Cops can track you via GPS, no warrant required
« on: Wednesday, August 25, 2010, 03:50:12 PM »
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Government agents can sneak onto your property in the middle of the night, put a GPS device on the bottom of your car and keep track of everywhere you go. This doesn't violate your Fourth Amendment rights, because you do not have any reasonable expectation of privacy in your own driveway - and no reasonable expectation that the government isn't tracking your movements.
What the fuck? This is like a joke.

Offline Xessive

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Re: Cops can track you via GPS, no warrant required
« Reply #1 on: Wednesday, August 25, 2010, 04:23:10 PM »
It's plausible to assume that they can already track your car if you already have a GPS system installed anyway.

If they have probable cause I don't really see an issue with them tracking the comings and goings of my car. Bear in mind that I generally tend to agree with police having the right to do pretty much anything short of infringing on human rights. Privacy is trivial when justice is obstructed. Either way assuming that we currently have any true privacy is somewhat naive.

My hypocrisy is that I'm anti-government, for the most part. Yet when it comes to crime I respect the police, or more accurately I respect the idea of the police. That said, I've always lived in countries where the police are a dominant authority: you do not F with the police; you even speak with a disrespectful tone and you could get in trouble. Granted I have had moments where I was disappointed, like when we got robbed last year and the cops just seemed so nonchalant about it "Yeah, we'll see what we can do.. Don't hold your breath." There's not much to be said or done about it.

Naturally, the problem in giving power to the police (or any authority for that matter) arises when there is corruption. It's a damn shame when it happens.

Offline Cobra951

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Re: Cops can track you via GPS, no warrant required
« Reply #2 on: Wednesday, August 25, 2010, 05:18:04 PM »
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The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.

Where exactly does expectation of privacy come into that text?  Privacy is irrelevant here.  The amendment affirms your protection from all searches and seizures by agents of the government except when described specifically in a warrant--and even then, only when the warrant is supported by probable cause.  (1) Valid warrant.  (2) Specific search parameters: place, persons, things.

How was that perverted into the text idol quoted?

Offline gpw11

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Re: Cops can track you via GPS, no warrant required
« Reply #3 on: Wednesday, August 25, 2010, 05:28:15 PM »
Yeah, the driveway thing seems fucked.  The actual tracking of movements, however, has never really been protected as far as I know.

Offline Xessive

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Re: Cops can track you via GPS, no warrant required
« Reply #4 on: Wednesday, August 25, 2010, 05:43:27 PM »
Sorry Cobra and Idol, I was responding to the article as a whole. A lot of the commentary on the article talks about "rights to privacy" etc.

Offline Ghandi

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Re: Cops can track you via GPS, no warrant required
« Reply #5 on: Wednesday, August 25, 2010, 10:59:09 PM »
Can't see this ruling lasting long.

Offline gpw11

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Re: Cops can track you via GPS, no warrant required
« Reply #6 on: Wednesday, August 25, 2010, 11:21:19 PM »
Can't see this ruling lasting long.

Yeah, the actual sneaking onto your property without a warrant thing seems pretty fucked up to allow. Beyond that, it seems fucking weird that they'd be able to install anything on your car without one.

From a less reputable source I'd assume that they grossly misinterpreted the ruling, but I guess weirder shit has happened.