Mississippi judge rules broad cell-tower data warrants unconstitutional

A federal magistrate concluded that "tower dump" warrants, which require cellular providers to turn over location data for all devices linked to a particular tower during a defined period, are illegal general warrants. District Judge Carlton Reeves in Mississippi agreed, declaring the practice unconstitutional under the Fourth Amendment. The ruling referenced the Supreme Court's recent decision that geofence warrants are invalid.

Law-enforcement agencies had requested several of these warrants last year as part of a gang-related investigation in the Jackson area, claiming the information could help identify suspects in cases lacking leads. Reeves stressed that such orders would grant authorities access to the records of countless individuals merely passing by the tower at the "wrong" time. The decision reinforces privacy safeguards against broad surveillance tools.