Press Releases

GOODLATTE STATEMENT ON SUPREME COURT’S DECISION ON GPS TECHNOLOGY

Congressman Bob Goodlatte issued this statement following today’s unanimous Supreme Court decision that law enforcement using GPS tracking technology to monitor vehicle movements without a search warrant violates the Fourth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution which guards against unreasonable searches and seizures.

“I am encouraged by today’s unanimous Supreme Court decision which upholds Americans’ Fourth Amendment rights and confirms the fact that a warrant is necessary for tracking an individual’s movements with a GPS device.  However, the Court stopped short of requiring a warrant for all geolocation information including that obtained from mobile telephones.  I look forward to working with my colleagues to pass the Geolocation Privacy and Surveillance (GPS) Act, which protects individual liberty by providing clear guidelines for when and how geolocation information can be accessed and used.”

Congressman Goodlatte is a lead cosponsor of the Geolocation Privacy and Surveillance (GPS) Act, legislation introduced by Representative Chaffetz (R-UT).  This bipartisan legislation provides clarity for government agencies, commercial entities, and the public regarding the legal procedures and protections that apply to geolocation information.