Close
  • Latest News
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
Read Down
Sign in
Close
Welcome!Log into your account
Forgot your password?
Read Down
Password recovery
Recover your password
Close
Search
Logo
Logo
  • Latest News
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
More
    Home Cybersecurity
    • Cybersecurity

    Digital Privacy Advocates Tout Supreme Court Ruling

    By
    eWEEK EDITORS
    -
    June 18, 2001
    Share
    Facebook
    Twitter
    Linkedin

      A U.S. Supreme Court decision last week limiting law enforcements use of technology to snoop inside peoples homes could have implications for police surveillance of cyberspace, and will likely fuel momentum in the courts and on Capitol Hill to establish more online privacy protections.

      In the case, Kyollo v. United States, the Supreme Court ruled that U.S. Department of Interior law enforcement agents violated Fourth Amendment protections when, without first getting a warrant, they used a thermal imaging device to discern “hot spots” in the suspects house that were consistent with the use of high-intensity lamps frequently used to grow marijuana.

      The opinion argued that it “would be foolish to contend that the degree of privacy secured to citizens by the Fourth Amendment has been entirely unaffected by the advance of technology . . . The question we confront today is what limits there are upon this power of technology to shrink the realm of guaranteed privacy.”

      The decision “shows the courts interest in interpreting the Fourth Amendment that takes account of the shifting balance caused by new technology,” said Alan Davidson, staff counsel at the Center for Democracy and Technology, a cyberspace civil liberties watchdog organization. “I think its a first step towards a more comprehensive articulation of how the Fourth Amendment should operate in the Digital Age,” Davidson said, adding that the decision will likely be used in future courts to argue that personal papers, effects and persons — all of which are protected under the Fourth Amendment, along with homes — require similarly strict protections. This interpretation could affect cyberspace protections, where e-mail and other information lives on networks and is stored in servers and not in homes.

      Davidson also said the decision suggests that “we will be hearing a lot more about it on [Capitol] Hill and from the public.”

      The decision moved U.S. House of Representatives Majority Leader Dick Armey, R-Texas, to write a letter to Attorney General John Ashcroft last week, charging that, in light of the decision, it is reasonable to ask “whether the Internet surveillance system formerly known as Carnivore similarly undermines the minimum expectation that individuals have that their personal electronic communications will not be examined by law enforcement devices unless a specific court warrant has been issued.” Carnivore is a technology used by the Federal Bureau of Investigation to snoop on e-mail.

      Evan Hendricks, editor at Privacy Times and a prominent privacy advocate, described it as “significant” that “someone of Armeys stature sees the connection, because for privacy to be adequately protected in the Carnivore context, its going to require [Capitol] Hill leadership.”

      eWEEK EDITORS
      eWeek editors publish top thought leaders and leading experts in emerging technology across a wide variety of Enterprise B2B sectors. Our focus is providing actionable information for today’s technology decision makers.

      MOST POPULAR ARTICLES

      Cybersecurity

      Visa’s Michael Jabbara on Cybersecurity and Digital...

      James Maguire - May 17, 2022 0
      I spoke with Michael Jabbara, VP and Global Head of Fraud Services at Visa, about the cybersecurity technology used to ensure the safe transfer...
      Read more
      Cloud

      Yotascale CEO Asim Razzaq on Controlling Multicloud...

      James Maguire - May 5, 2022 0
      Asim Razzaq, CEO of Yotascale, provides guidance on understanding—and containing—the complex cost structure of multicloud computing. Among the topics we covered:  As you survey the...
      Read more
      Big Data and Analytics

      GoodData CEO Roman Stanek on Business Intelligence...

      James Maguire - May 4, 2022 0
      I spoke with Roman Stanek, CEO of GoodData, about business intelligence, data as a service, and the frustration that many executives have with data...
      Read more
      Android

      Samsung Galaxy XCover Pro: Durability for Tough...

      Chris Preimesberger - December 5, 2020 0
      Have you ever dropped your phone, winced and felt the pain as it hit the sidewalk? Either the screen splintered like a windshield being...
      Read more
      IT Management

      Intuit’s Nhung Ho on AI for the...

      James Maguire - May 13, 2022 0
      I spoke with Nhung Ho, Vice President of AI at Intuit, about adoption of AI in the small and medium-sized business market, and how...
      Read more
      Logo

      eWeek has the latest technology news and analysis, buying guides, and product reviews for IT professionals and technology buyers. The site’s focus is on innovative solutions and covering in-depth technical content. eWeek stays on the cutting edge of technology news and IT trends through interviews and expert analysis. Gain insight from top innovators and thought leaders in the fields of IT, business, enterprise software, startups, and more.

      Facebook
      Linkedin
      RSS
      Twitter
      Youtube

      Advertisers

      Advertise with TechnologyAdvice on eWeek and our other IT-focused platforms.

      Advertise with Us

      Menu

      • About eWeek
      • Subscribe to our Newsletter
      • Latest News

      Our Brands

      • Privacy Policy
      • Terms
      • About
      • Contact
      • Advertise
      • Sitemap
      • California – Do Not Sell My Information

      Property of TechnologyAdvice.
      © 2021 TechnologyAdvice. All Rights Reserved

      Advertiser Disclosure: Some of the products that appear on this site are from companies from which TechnologyAdvice receives compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site including, for example, the order in which they appear. TechnologyAdvice does not include all companies or all types of products available in the marketplace.

      ×