This new cellphone privacy law requires police to obtain a warrant to access cellphone information or to use "stingrays," which act as fake cellular towners to determine people's locations. The new law also strengthens existing cellphone tracking notification provisions by requiring police to send a notification letter to the person being tracked and to file a copy of that letter with the court that granted permission for the surveillance. H.B. 5640 also prohibits law enforcement from retaining cellphone data for longer than fourteen days, unless the data relates to an ongoing criminal investigation.

Status

Won: new law

Session

2016

Bill number

5640

Position

Support