[telecom] Major Ruling Shields Privacy of Cellphones

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Major Ruling Shields Privacy of Cellphones Supreme Court Says Phones Can't Be Searched Without a Warrant

By ADAM LIPTAK JUNE 25, 2014

WASHINGTON - In a sweeping victory for privacy rights in the digital age, the Supreme Court on Wednesday unanimously ruled that the police need warrants to search the cellphones of people they arrest.

While the decision will offer protection to the 12 million people arrested every year, many for minor crimes, its impact will most likely be much broader. The ruling almost certainly also applies to searches of tablet and laptop computers, and its reasoning may apply to searches of homes and businesses and of information held by third parties like phone companies.

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