Google Location Data Access for Arson Probe Gets Court Approval

A government request seeking cell phone location data from Alphabet Inc.‘s Google for an arson investigation is specific enough that it doesn’t violate the Fourth Amendment, a federal judge ruled.

The requested search warrant is structured to “minimize the potential” for capturing data on individuals not involved in the arsons and does “maximize the potential” for capturing data on suspects and witnesses, Judge Sunil Harjani of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois ruled Thursday.

The case concerns 10 fires in the Chicago area in 2019 that law enforcement believe were connected. The so-called geofence warrant ...