Catherine Crump writes: Yesterday we asked the full Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals to consider the arguments in our amicus brief that it should rehear a case decided by a three-judge panel in a ruling last month that undermined the privacy rights of everyone who carries a cell phone. In the case, law enforcement agents required Melvin Skinner’s cell…
Category: U.S.
A Question for Twitter’s Free Speech Defender
Somini Sengupta reports: Alexander Macgillivray, Twitter’s chief lawyer, says that fighting for free speech is more than a good idea. He thinks it is a competitive advantage for his company. That conviction explains why he spends so much of Twitter’s time and money going toe to toe with officers and apparatchiks both here and abroad. Last…
Missouri cell phone tracking law challenged
Saheli Chakrabarty writes: A Missouri law [HB 1108 materials] allowing police to track individuals’ cell phones in emergencies was challenged in a federal lawsuit Monday claiming that the state law conflicts with federal law. The complaint [text, PDF], filed on behalf of a Bolivar resident, asserts that the Missouri law should be struck down under the supremacy clause of…
Security vs. privacy is a tough call
For a glimpse into how college youth may be viewing the issue of “security vs. privacy,” see this editorial by the Independent Collegian: Cameras are being installed on campus for the safety and protection of the students and their property. These cameras are being installed primarily in the student and in other public places relevant…