The US government is requesting a pause in a recent court decision that found obtaining cell tower data for everyone in a specific area without a warrant is unconstitutional. This kind of information, often called a “tower dump,” collects records of all mobile devices that connected to a particular cell site during a given period.
A significant ruling determined that this practice violates the Fourth Amendment protection against unreasonable searches. Critics argue that collecting data on potentially thousands of innocent people who happened to be near a cell tower is a massive invasion of privacy rights.
Now, federal authorities are seeking a delay in the implementation of this ruling. This pause would allow the government time to consider its next steps, potentially including an appeal to a higher court or developing new procedures for requesting such data. The outcome of this legal challenge will have significant implications for both law enforcement investigations and the scope of digital privacy in the United States. The debate centers on balancing investigative needs with fundamental constitutional protections.
Source: https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2025/06/19/us_tower_grab_appeal/
