AUGUSTA — A privacy protection bill to restrict "geo-tracking" has received a public review in the State House.
The Judiciary Committee on Wednesday held a hearing on a bill that would require police to get a court-approved warrant to obtain location information from a cell phone or other electronic device.
Assistant Senate Republican Leader Roger Katz of Augusta told the committee that technology has gotten ahead of the law in addressing technology that can spot the location, day and night, of anyone with a cell phone. His bill would balance the interests of civil libertarians, who want to protect privacy, and law enforcement, which can use geo-tracking to find criminals or lost people.
Assistant Maine Attorney General William Stokes opposed the bill, saying guidelines are already in place under federal law.
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