Does a person have a reasonable expectation of privacy in their cell-site location information stored by third parties?

The correct position is that a person generally does have a reasonable expectation of privacy in their cell-site location information, particularly after the landmark decision in Carpenter v. United States (2018). In this case, the Supreme Court held that accessing historical cell-site location information (CSLI) without a warrant violates the Fourth Amendment. The Court reasoned that individuals have a reasonable expectation of privacy in their location data because this information can reveal a detailed and intimate picture of their movements over time.

The significance of this ruling is rooted in the idea that cell-site location information can disclose much more than just where a person is at any given moment. It can reflect personal habits, associations, and even the most private activities, which aligns with societal notions of privacy. Therefore, the ruling acknowledged that individuals do not relinquish all privacy rights when they use a phone or other technology that relies on connectivity and data collection by third parties.

Understanding this context emphasizes the importance of safeguarding location privacy in the digital age, as the implications stretch beyond the individual to how law enforcement and technology firms access and use personal data.