US Supreme Court in Virginia case says police need warrants for cellphone location data

By: Jonathan Shorman

Outlets: DC Bureau (States Newsroom)

Published: June 29, 2026

Words: 824

Last Updated: 3 weeks, 3 days ago

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The U.S. Supreme Court ruled Monday that law enforcement searches for the location history of cellphones near crime scenes are covered by the Fourth Amendment, requiring warrants to obtain the data.

But the high court left unsettled when searches for the information are reasonable — likely meaning the justices will eventually weigh in again on the privacy rights of Americans in the electronic era.

In a 6-3 decision, the Supreme Court ruled that police officers conducted …

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