From the Organizers :
Unwarranted Access: New York State Geolocation Ban with Assembly Member Dan Quart
Cellphones record location data, and with the introduction of phone-based contact tracing apps to combat the spread of COVID-19, they are tracking more information on where we go and who we interact with than ever before. The U.S. Supreme Court has recognized that searches of cellphone data can be just as invasive as searching a person’s home, and that law enforcement must have a warrant to do so. But New York law enforcement agencies have found a loophole, convincing courts to grant “reverse location” search warrants. And without strict privacy protections for the contact-tracing data being collected, that is vulnerable improper use as well.
Thankfully, Assembly Member Dan Quart has introduced legislation to ban this abuse. His geolocation ban would prohibit courts from issuing reverse search warrants, and law enforcement agencies from accessing massive stores of location information. We need this now more than ever before, as governments use COVID-19 to justify previously unthinkable surveillance regimes. To that end, this law is exempt from the Governor’s newly-granted power to suspend laws during perceived emergencies—recognizing that New Yorkers’ core constitutional rights cannot be suspended at the government’s whim.
We will be joined by AM Quart as well as advocate groups who helped shape the bill. Speakers will explain why this legislation is needed, and steps we can take to get it passed.
Zoom link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83587397847
When:
Wednesday , May 28
6:30pm - 7:30pm EDT
RSVP
Where:
Online
This event is organized not by EFF, but by S.T.O.P. , a grassroots group participating in the Electronic Frontier Alliance. The EFA is a network of grassroots organizations across the country committed to promoting digital rights. Together, we're building a movement to promote freedom of expression, privacy, security, creativity, and access to knowledge.
