Court Rules Geofence Warrants Unconstitutional

As the 2024 US presidential election approaches, concerns are rising over state-backed hackers potentially influencing the electoral process. The recent breach of National Public Data, a data broker and background-check company, has revealed significant vulnerabilities, prompting scrutiny over data security. Google has announced plans to address these issues with a fix expected in the coming weeks, but military contractor Palantir has expressed dissatisfaction, opting to discontinue the use of all Android devices due to perceived inadequacies in Google's response. In a landmark ruling, the US Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals declared geofence warrants unconstitutional, citing violations of the Fourth Amendment. These warrants, which allow law enforcement to request data on all devices present at a specific location during a certain timeframe, have been criticized as invasive and lacking specificity. Google, a frequent target of such warrants, has committed to altering its data storage practices to limit the information available under these requests. In a separate development, the Committee on Foreign Investment in the US (CFIUS) imposed a record $60 million fine on T-Mobile for mishandling sensitive data during its merger with Sprint. The committee found that T-Mobile failed to safeguard data adequately, breaching a National Security Agreement designed to protect US interests in foreign business transactions. Additionally, the long-running legal saga surrounding Kim Dotcom has progressed, with New Zealand's justice minister approving the US's extradition request for the controversial entrepreneur, marking a significant step in the ongoing prosecution.