{"id":2595787,"date":"2026-04-27T16:46:02","date_gmt":"2026-04-27T20:46:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/john-roberts-questions-expectation-of-privacy-for-voluntarily-shared-location-data\/"},"modified":"2026-04-27T16:48:54","modified_gmt":"2026-04-27T20:48:54","slug":"john-roberts-questions-expectation-of-privacy-for-voluntarily-shared-location-data","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/john-roberts-questions-expectation-of-privacy-for-voluntarily-shared-location-data\/","title":{"rendered":"John Roberts questions &#8216;expectation of privacy&#8217; for voluntarily shared location data"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">22<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fjohn-roberts-questions-expectation-of-privacy-for-voluntarily-shared-location-data%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2595787&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>Chief Justice John Roberts questioned whether peopel can reasonably expect their location data to be private when they voluntarily share it with apps and services like Google. The Supreme Court heard arguments in *Chatrie v. United States*, a case examining whether a \u201cgeofence warrant\u201d violated the Fourth Amendment.<\/p>\n<p>A geofence warrant allows <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/the-red-wave-of-conservative-women-elected-to-congress\/\" title=\"The Red Wave of Conservative Women Elected to Congress\">law enforcement<\/a> to ask a technology company for data about devices that were in a defined geographic area during a specific time window. In Chatrie\u2019s case, the data helped connect him to a bank robbery, leading to his conviction.<\/p>\n<p>Chatrie\u2019s lawyer argued that Chatrie had a reasonable expectation of privacy in his sensitive, revealing location history-stored in a password-protected account-and that using the geofence warrant was unlawful. Multiple justices challenged that view,suggesting privacy concerns coudl be avoided by turning off location features,and pointing out that the government\u2019s access depends on how people make their data available.<\/p>\n<p>Justices also pressed on whether the warrant request could expose too much information, even if a judge narrows it, including questions about searches using anonymized location data. The Department of Justice argued that adopting Chatrie\u2019s position would effectively preclude warrants from covering records of people\u2019s public movements. The Supreme Court\u2019s ruling is expected to significantly affect how geofence warrants are used nationwide.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<article class=\"fn-body\">\n<p>Chief Justice <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/john-roberts\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"1007\">John Roberts<\/a> questioned why someone should expect their location data to be private, if they are already voluntarily sharing it with companies, such as Google, in a case over whether law enforcement\u2019s broad searches of the location data for a specific area during a specific time were constitutional.<\/p>\n<p>The Supreme Court heard arguments on Monday in <em><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/supreme-court\/4542562\/geofence-warrans-face-supreme-court-scrutiny\/\" type=\"link\" id=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/supreme-court\/4542562\/geofence-warrans-face-supreme-court-scrutiny\/\">Chatrie v. United States<\/a><\/em>,\u00a0where it examined whether a geofence warrant violated Okello Chatrie\u2019s Fourth Amendment right against unreasonable searches and seizures. A geofence <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/warrants\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"4704\">warrant<\/a> is a request made by the government to a technology company, such as Google, in this case, for information about devices that were physically within a certain geographic parameter during a specific period of time. The data from the geofence warrant used in Chatrie\u2019s case was able to connect him to a bank robbery, for which he was convicted.<\/p>\n<section class=\"explore-more-section\" id=\"wex-recommended-widget\">\n<div class=\"magazine-container single\">\n<h1 class=\"magazine-title mt-2\">Recommended Stories<\/h1>\n<p>             <i class=\"fa-solid fa-play icon\"><\/i>         <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-grid\">\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/supreme-court\/4544190\/supreme-court-allows-texas-pro-gop-redistricting-to-stand\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Supreme Court allows Texas\u2019s pro-GOP redistricting to stand<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/supreme-court\/4544063\/supreme-court-punts-on-school-secret-gender-transition-cases\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Supreme Court punts on school secret gender transition cases<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/supreme-court\/4542562\/geofence-warrans-face-supreme-court-scrutiny\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Key law enforcement search tool faces Supreme Court scrutiny<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<p>Chatrie\u2019s lawyer, Adam Unikowsky, argued to the justices that the use of a geofence warrant was unlawful and that Chatrie had a \u201creasonable expectation of privacy in his location history, given both its sensitive and revealing nature and the fact that it was stored in his password-protected account.\u201d Several of the justices questioned that premise, with Roberts noting that if he did not want the government to see his location history he could just \u201cflip that off.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p>\u201cYou don\u2019t have to have that feature on your phone,\u201d Roberts said. \u201cSo what\u2019s the issue?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Unikowsky responded that he does not \u201cagree that one should have to flip off one\u2019s location history, as well as other cloud services, to avoid government surveillance,\u201d and likened location sharing to sending an email, an action that is optional but that does not open the door to government surveillance. Roberts again questioned Unikowsky\u2019s argument.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBut the only reason the government has access to this information is because you\u2019ve decided to make it public, to the extent it can be accessed by people any number of ways,\u201d Roberts said. \u201cIn other words, people can use that information, not simply law enforcement. If you don\u2019t want them to peer into your window, you can close your window or the shades.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Justice Samuel Alito also questioned Chatrie voluntarily sharing his location data with Google, which was then accessed by law enforcement via a warrant issued to Google.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s not just a question of shutting it off, it\u2019s a question of turning it on,\u201d Alito said. \u201cAnd according to the government, your client had to go through multiple steps in order to turn it on, so he voluntarily disclosed to Google the information about where he was going to be.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Unikowsky faced other sharp questions over how much data could be exposed to the government via a warrant to Google, or a similar technology company, and whether the examination of anonymized location data for a specific time period and at a specific location could be viewed as an unlawful overbroad search.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt seems like detective Hylton here really went through a lot of the steps that should be applauded, in terms of narrowing this down, going through multiple steps,\u201d Justice Brett Kavanaugh said. \u201cI guess I\u2019m trying to figure out why this was bad police work to get a warrant.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>DOJ lawyer Eric Feigin argued to the justices that the standard Unikowsky is seeking would make the Fourth Amendment an \u201cimpregnable fortress\u201d around any records of public movements, even if law enforcement obtained a warrant from a judge. The justices also offered sharp questions toward Feigin over concerns with how broad the information in a geofence warrant is, even if it is narrowed down by a magistrate judge.<\/p>\n<p>The Supreme Court\u2019s eventual decision in the case will have a wide impact on a <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >law enforcement tool<\/a> that has been at the center of criminal investigations across the country.<\/p>\n<p><strong><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/supreme-court\/4542562\/geofence-warrans-face-supreme-court-scrutiny\/\" type=\"post\" id=\"4542562\">KEY LAW ENFORCEMENT SEARCH TOOL FACES SUPREME COURT SCRUTINY<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The arguments in the <em>Chatrie <\/em>case kicked off the Supreme Court\u2019s final scheduled week of oral arguments for the term. The high court will conclude oral arguments for the term on Wednesday, when it hears arguments in two <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/bail-fund-praised-by-kamala-harris-has-twice-freed-the-same-rioter-he-was-just-charged-again\/\" title=\"Bail Fund Praised By Kamala Harris Has Twice Freed The Same Rioter. He Was Just Charged Again.\">separate cases<\/a>, including one on whether the Trump administration may <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/mayorkas-building-bureaucratic-bridge-to-import-more-ukrainian-migrants\/\" title=\"Mayorkas Building Bureaucratic Bridge to Import More Ukrainian Migrants\">end temporary protected status<\/a> for Haiti and Syria.<\/p>\n<p>The Supreme Court is expected to issue a ruling in the <em>Chatrie<\/em> case and all other <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/supreme-court-ethics-reform-bill-moving-forward-top-senate-democrat-says\/\" title=\"Senate Democrat: Supreme Court Ethics Reform Bill Advancing\">cases argued<\/a> this term, by the end of June. On Wednesday, the high court is expected to release at least one opinion in a pending case, but it is not expected to be in the <em>Chatrie<\/em> case.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Chief Justice Roberts challenged privacy claims on geofence warrants<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2638,"featured_media":2595789,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/AP26113736782480.jpg?w=696","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[36218,78688,47105,32275],"class_list":["post-2595787","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-legal-analysis","tag-location-data","tag-privacy-rights","tag-supreme-court"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/AP26113736782480.jpg?w=696","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2595787","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2638"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2595787"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2595787\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2595791,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2595787\/revisions\/2595791"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2595789"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2595787"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2595787"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2595787"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}