Supreme Court Expands Privacy Protections to Cellphone Location Data

Why it matters locally: The Supreme Court's ruling on cellphone location data privacy will directly influence how New Mexico law enforcement agencies, such as the City of Albuquerque Police Department and the Santa Fe Regional Emergency Communications Center (RECC) / Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office non-emergency dispatch, access and use this type of data during investigations.

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The Supreme Court issued a ruling on Monday stating that constitutional privacy protections encompass cellphone location data. This decision impacts how law enforcement agencies access and utilize an individual's historical location information obtained through cellular networks. In a separate development, the Archdiocese of San Francisco reached an agreement to pay $395 million to individuals who reported sexual abuse within the organization. This settlement addresses multiple claims brought against the archdiocese regarding cases of abuse. Globally, public health officials reported an excess of 1,300 deaths linked to a widespread heatwave affecting Europe. This figure includes casualties across various nations experiencing elevated temperatures. Authorities continue to monitor the impact of the heatwave on public health.