US Appeals Court rules warrantless phone location tracking is
illegal  Summary:A panel of appeals judges has ruled that police
must obtain a warrant before collecting cellphone location data,
adding further weight to the pro-privacy argument.  Image:
CNET/CBS Interactive  A US court has ruled that police and other
law enforcement agencies must obtain a search warrant before
acquiring location data stored in cellphones and smartphones.
Three judges in the US Appeals Court for the 11th Circuit agreed
on Wednesday that acquiring records of which cell towers connect
to a smartphone and tablet, as well as when they connect,
constitutes a search under the Fourth Amendment, which prevents
unreasonable searches and seizures.  It comes almost a year
after a ruling by the US Appeals Court for the 5th Circuit,
which ruled that location data stored on mobile devices is not
protected under the constitution.  Wednesday's ruling by the
11th Circuit — covering Florida, Alabama, and Georgia — will not
overrule the 5th Circui