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Daily news & progressive opinion—funded by the people, not the corporations—delivered straight to your inbox.

The case, U.S. v. Katzin, which was brought by the ACLU is being hailed as a victory in the fight against government surveillance.
Last year the Supreme Court unanimously ruled in U.S. v. Jones that attaching a GPS device to a citizen's vehicle constitutes a "search" under the Fourth Amendment. However, due to unclear wording in the case's ruling, police departments around the country have, until now, evaded having to attain warrants to do so.
"GPS devices have become a favored tool of law enforcement, and their highly intrusive nature cries out for clear judicial regulation," read the amicus brief filed by the ACLU, the ACLU of Pennsylvania, Electronic Frontier Foundation, and the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers.
"Today's decision is a victory for all Americans because it ensures that the police cannot use powerful tracking technology without court supervision and a good reason to believe it will turn up evidence of wrongdoing," said ACLU Staff Attorney Catherine Crump, who argued before the three-judge panel. "These protections are important because where people go reveals a great deal about them, from who their friends and business associates are to what doctors they go to."
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Dear Common Dreams reader, It’s been nearly 30 years since I co-founded Common Dreams with my late wife, Lina Newhouser. We had the radical notion that journalism should serve the public good, not corporate profits. It was clear to us from the outset what it would take to build such a project. No paid advertisements. No corporate sponsors. No millionaire publisher telling us what to think or do. Many people said we wouldn't last a year, but we proved those doubters wrong. Together with a tremendous team of journalists and dedicated staff, we built an independent media outlet free from the constraints of profits and corporate control. Our mission has always been simple: To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. Building Common Dreams was not easy. Our survival was never guaranteed. When you take on the most powerful forces—Wall Street greed, fossil fuel industry destruction, Big Tech lobbyists, and uber-rich oligarchs who have spent billions upon billions rigging the economy and democracy in their favor—the only bulwark you have is supporters who believe in your work. But here’s the urgent message from me today. It's never been this bad out there. And it's never been this hard to keep us going. At the very moment Common Dreams is most needed, the threats we face are intensifying. We need your support now more than ever. We don't accept corporate advertising and never will. We don't have a paywall because we don't think people should be blocked from critical news based on their ability to pay. Everything we do is funded by the donations of readers like you. When everyone does the little they can afford, we are strong. But if that support retreats or dries up, so do we. Will you donate now to make sure Common Dreams not only survives but thrives? —Craig Brown, Co-founder |
Jacob Chamberlain is a former staff writer for Common Dreams. He is the author of Migrant Justice in the Age of Removal. His website is www.jacobpchamberlain.com.

The case, U.S. v. Katzin, which was brought by the ACLU is being hailed as a victory in the fight against government surveillance.
Last year the Supreme Court unanimously ruled in U.S. v. Jones that attaching a GPS device to a citizen's vehicle constitutes a "search" under the Fourth Amendment. However, due to unclear wording in the case's ruling, police departments around the country have, until now, evaded having to attain warrants to do so.
"GPS devices have become a favored tool of law enforcement, and their highly intrusive nature cries out for clear judicial regulation," read the amicus brief filed by the ACLU, the ACLU of Pennsylvania, Electronic Frontier Foundation, and the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers.
"Today's decision is a victory for all Americans because it ensures that the police cannot use powerful tracking technology without court supervision and a good reason to believe it will turn up evidence of wrongdoing," said ACLU Staff Attorney Catherine Crump, who argued before the three-judge panel. "These protections are important because where people go reveals a great deal about them, from who their friends and business associates are to what doctors they go to."
_____________________
Jacob Chamberlain is a former staff writer for Common Dreams. He is the author of Migrant Justice in the Age of Removal. His website is www.jacobpchamberlain.com.

The case, U.S. v. Katzin, which was brought by the ACLU is being hailed as a victory in the fight against government surveillance.
Last year the Supreme Court unanimously ruled in U.S. v. Jones that attaching a GPS device to a citizen's vehicle constitutes a "search" under the Fourth Amendment. However, due to unclear wording in the case's ruling, police departments around the country have, until now, evaded having to attain warrants to do so.
"GPS devices have become a favored tool of law enforcement, and their highly intrusive nature cries out for clear judicial regulation," read the amicus brief filed by the ACLU, the ACLU of Pennsylvania, Electronic Frontier Foundation, and the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers.
"Today's decision is a victory for all Americans because it ensures that the police cannot use powerful tracking technology without court supervision and a good reason to believe it will turn up evidence of wrongdoing," said ACLU Staff Attorney Catherine Crump, who argued before the three-judge panel. "These protections are important because where people go reveals a great deal about them, from who their friends and business associates are to what doctors they go to."
_____________________