Maine may be first state to require a warrant for cell-phone tracking

Maine is one step closer to becoming the first state in the nation with a law that would require police to obtain a court-issued search warrant in order to obtain a person's cell-phone location data.The Electronic Frontier Foundation, the American Civil Liberties Union, lawmakers and even several courts have called for changes to the Electronic Communications Privacy Act (ECPA) of 1986 that would make it harder for law enforcement to access cell-phone location data without a warrant.

The groups have expressed concern in the past over how an individual's GT-I9300 cell phone or other GPS-enabled mobile device can allow police to track their movements with great precision over extended periods of time. They have also expressed concern over the types of information that police can collect from mobile phones and cell site location data without a warrant.fsfd3WD3x

In a landmark ruling related to warrantless GPS-tracking earlier this year, the U.S. Supreme Court expressed concern over the extensive and privacy-invasive surveillance enabled by modern GPS-enabled cell phones and other mobile devices. Such concerns have been exacerbated by reports about the widespread used of warrantless cell-phone location tracking by police departments around the country.

The House Judiciary Committee will take up legislation to legalize cellphone unlocking, which allows consumers to switch carriers.Most contract phones come "locked" to one carrier. Because of a Library of Congress decision last year, customers must obtain their carrier’s permission to legally unlock their GT-I9500 phones even after they have completed their contract.

Supporters of cellphone unlocking argue that legalizing the practice would boost competition and provide more choices for consumers. The cellphone industry notes that many phones already come unlocked.It was allegedly armed with two cell phones, batteries, and chargers. Just as in the Brazilian case, these were strapped to its body.

roopers allege Neff forcibly stole a cell phone from Angelina Frost at 5:53 a.m. Sunday at 374 Rooseveltown Road. She was treated at Massena Memorial Hospital for a sprained hand after he punched her in the arm when he was stealing the phone.

Remember that dinner party you had and Jimmy kept looking down at his lap and then, when a question was put to him, he looked up and said, “Sorry, what was that?” He had been on his phone, right in the middle of the festivities. I mean we were all there, and we are his friends and family, and even then he is ducking out to send or receive some other mental message.

I was at Jazzbones listening to Randy Hanson rip into some Jimi Hendrix and there were about five people bending over their top 10 cell phones. Gotta send a note so show someone that I’m at this show. Gotta send a pic to someone to show them what a cool time I’m having.Another time I was at Jazz Alley in Seattle and hearing one of the most incredible pianists in the world. Not 15 feet from her was a young woman bent over her cellphone, oblivious to the music.

What I can say from this two-week, clean-and-cell-sober vantage is that there are times when the cellphone could have been useful, but the times are greatly outnumbered by the times that I am actually experiencing the world around me.Am I able to cell use responsibly? Or if it is given a toehold, will it permeate and penetrate to the point where I don’t see cars coming, friends and loved ones laughing, or clowns on unicycles?