Geofence warrants are a type of “reverse warrant” that law enforcement agencies use to identify suspects when none are known. They are issued specifically because a suspect cannot be identified, and law enforcement simply specifies a location and period of time. After judicial approval, companies conduct sweeping searches of their location databases and provide a list of cell phones and affiliated users found at or near a specific area during a given timeframe, both defined by law enforcement.
For example, Google collects location data from Android users and anyone who visits a Google-based application or website from their phone, including Calendar, Chrome, Drive, Gmail, Maps, and YouTube, among others. Law enforcement agencies frequently require Google to provide user data while forbidding it from notifying users that it has revealed or plans to reveal their data. Some questions that this webinar will answer is:
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What major cases have dealt with geofence warrants?
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How should police write a geofence warrant?
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How do defendants attack geofence warrants?