Should Law Enforcement Have Access To Citizen's Digital Data Case Study

Should Law Enforcement Have Access to Citizen’s Digital Data? Law enforcement should have access to citizen’s digital data if they have a reasonable cause. There are many reasons to back up this claim, for example to keep the individuals and government of our country safe. Another reason would be to research someone that is a potential criminal or threat. Third, law enforcement may find something for evidence on the device that may not be found anywhere else. The argument has 2 very debatable sides, but in all reality, it is a good thing for law enforcement to have access when they need it. First of all, law enforcement may use the access to keep our country safe. People may try to use the internet and think nobody will see what they do,
“Carpenter’s defense attorney Harold Gurewitz tried to get the lower courts to exclude information obtained from MetroPCS, arguing that the cell phone records could be seized only with a warrant supported by probable cause” (Greenemeir 1) This is an example of how a carrier will not give out your information without a proper cause. You can try and try all you want, but without a proper reason to search, you are wasting your time. Another thing is, your carrier gets your location because your device is constantly searching for the nearest cell phone tower to get the strongest connection possible. “To get a signal so it can make or receive a call, a cell phone establishes a radio connection with a nearby tower called a cell site. As the user moves, the device constantly scans for nearby towers for the strongest connection” (Greenemeir 1) This sends your location to your carrier constantly, so they know your location all the time. Without the warrant, police cannot get the access they need because they do not have the proper reason to track you. Your information is safe with your carrier until they have a reason to search your
“The fourth amendment violates unreasonable seizures and searches” (Kopp 1). I think if you do not give law enforcement access to your information, you have something that you are hiding. Even if it isn’t anything to make you a criminal, you have something to hide. Even though you have the right to your privacy, most of the time, law enforcement doesn’t just want to search your data for no reason. If they really want to get the information and have the right reasons, they are going to get the access, whether you give it to them or not. “That interaction between cell sites and phones lets wireless carriers log and store details including a call’s time, date, and length” (Greenemeir 1). When they have the access and search your phone, they can look at literally everything they want in your phone, once access is approved. Therefore, if you gave them a reason to look into it in the first place, you might as well give them your consent to look through your information so they can find what they