Denied FOIA requests shed light on phone trackers

Chicago resident and political activist Freddy Martinez filed a second lawsuit against the Chicago Police Department in September for not responding to his Freedom of Information Act requests about how police are using cell phone trackers.

Across the country, citizens have growing concerns about the possibility of technology being used by law enforcement to invade their privacy. When pressed for more information about how law enforcement could be using potentially invasive technology, city officials have denied the requests of Martinez and other residents. 

“Law enforcement has to follow certain procedures, and those procedures are designed to allow the government to intrude upon otherwise private spaces, but only for compelling reasons,” said Hanni Fakhoury, a senior staff attorney for the Electronic Frontier Foundation. “That’s what the probable cause standard is supposed to do. It’s supposed to put a judge in between law enforcement and the public and make sure there’s a really good reason for law enforcement to be in your phone.” Continue>>>
======