The Supreme Court of the United States has officially entered the digital age. In a unanimous decision, in Riley v. California,the Court ruled that police are required to obtain a warrant prior to searching the cell phone of a person they arrest. Now, a warrantless search of a cell phone would only be permitted in a truly exigent circumstance. This is a bold decision on the part of the Court and sets a precedent for computer search cases. The Court noted that most smart phones contain a vast amount of private information which would otherwise not be searchable without a warrant. The fact that people can, and do, store medical, financial, and other confidential information on their phones make smart phones unique. These days, searching a person’s smart phone is like searching their home. This new privacy protection changes the landscape for law enforcement.
