Justice Department pushes for cell-phone tracking without evidence of wrongdoing

Published 11:22 pm Friday, February 12, 2010

Should the government be able to track your movements based on cell-phone records without evidence of criminal wrongdoing?

A legal showdown on the closely watched issue unfolded Friday in a federal appeals court in Philadelphia, as the Justice Department battled electronic-privacy groups.

The Justice Department wants to get the cell-phone location information without showing probable cause of a crime.

Opponents say the data could show when someone visits a church, a medical clinic or even a political rally.

Appellate Judge Dolores Sloviter wondered aloud what a rogue government might do with such information.

The appeal stems from a Pittsburgh drug-trafficking case. The judges did not indicate when they would rule.

Associated Press