Mass phone tracking via cell tower dumps ruled unconstitutional

What just happened? A pivotal legal decision has emerged from Nevada, where a federal judge has questioned the constitutionality of a controversial investigative tool known as a "tower dump." This law enforcement method allows police to collect data en masse from cell towers, capturing information on every device that connects to a tower during a specific time window. The practice, which can sweep up the location and identifying details of thousands of cell phones, has been widely used to aid criminal investigations – and has also sparked intense debate over privacy and constitutional rights. The case at the center of this ruling involves Cory Spurlock, who faces serious charges including conspiracy to distribute marijuana and alleged involvement in a murder-for-hire plot. In an effort to place Spurlock at the scenes of the crimes, investigators obtained a warrant for a tower dump, which ultimately captured data from nearly 1,700 unique phones. The data, provided by a wireless carrier ... Read full article.