Till some state trooper decides to track down his cheating ex-wife:
Wisconsin police can attach GPS to cars to secretly track anybody’s movements without obtaining search warrants, an appeals court ruled Thursday.
However, the District 4 Court of Appeals said it was “more than a little troubled” by that conclusion and asked Wisconsin lawmakers to regulate GPS use to protect against abuse by police and private individuals.
As the law currently stands, the court said police can mount GPS on cars to track people without violating their constitutional rights—even if the drivers aren’t suspects.
Officers do not need to get warrants beforehand because GPS tracking does not involve a search or a seizure, Judge Paul Lundsten wrote for the unanimous three-judge panel based in Madison.
Am I the only person who worries about stuff like this? I mean, maybe I could see it if the trace was not admissable as evidence in court and it was used only to build a case-but even then the potential for abuse is very high.
Lawsuits and a Supreme Court case await.