Google's Geofence Warrant Victory: A Blow to Law Enforcement's Access to Location Data

Google has announced changes to the way it stores and accesses users' opt-in "Location History" in Google Maps, effectively ending the practice of "geofence warrants" used by law enforcement to obtain location data. Geofence warrants allow authorities to force Google to hand over information about all users within a specific location during a particular timeframe. Google's decision to end access to location data is seen as a win for privacy advocates and criminal defense attorneys who have criticized these warrants. The change does not prevent the government from obtaining information on a specific user by demanding their full account details, but it eliminates the ability to compel Google to provide identifying data or metadata on all users within certain parameters.