he Cloud Goes to Court

The United States Constitution prohibits the government from engaging in any unlawful search and seizure of property belonging to an individual or entity. Before it can act, a warrant, signed by a judge, is required.

On Tuesday, the United States Supreme Court was asked to determine whether this doctrine, enshrined in the Fourth Amendment, needs to be updated in a case involving information stored on what has commonly become known as "the cloud."

First, a little background. In 2013, federal prosecutors seeking to make a case against someone they believed to have engaged in drug trafficking sought and obtained a warrant the government believed consistent with the Electronic Stored Communications Act of 1986, a measure that allows it to obtain records from an internet service provider if it can demonstrate to a magistrate that probable cause exists to believe a crime has been committed.
Source: usnews