ACLU report: Warrantless tracking of cellphones ‘pervasive and frequent’

Local police departments across the country are tracking cellphones without obtaining a warrant, according to a report released by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU).

In August, the ACLU filed requests under state freedom of information laws for police documents detailing their policies for tracking cellphone locations. The ACLU said many agencies never responded, but about 200 departments provided records, such as policy statements, memos and requests to phone companies. The documents showed that policies vary between agencies. The ACLU said the documents show "pervasive and frequent violations of Americans’ privacy rights."