Maine Senate Passes Bill Requiring Warrant for Cellphone Tracking

Following Texas legislature's lead

The Senate voted 20-15 Thursday to pass a bill that would require police to get a warrant before they could obtain data from a cellphone provider about a customer's recent location history.

The bill is a priority for civil libertarians, who say it would protect people's privacy from government intrusion. Opponents, however, said the measure would make it harder for police to do their jobs.