CHARLESE.GRASSLEY IOWA CHAIRMAN ORRING.HATCH UTAHJEFFSESSIONS ALABAMALINDSEYO.GRAHAM SOUTHCAROLINAJOHNCORNYN TEXASMICHAELS.LEE UTAHTEDCRUZ TEXASJEFFFLAKE ARIZONADAVIDVinER LOUISIANADAVIDA.PERDUE GEORGIATHOMTILLIS NORTHCAROLINAPATRICKJ.LEAHY VERMONTDIANNEFEINSTEIN CALIFORNIACHARLESE.SCHUMER NEWYORK RICHARDJ.DURBIN ILLINOISSHELDONWHITEHOUSE RHODEISLANDAMYKLOBUCHAR MINNESOTAALFRANKEN MINNESOTACHRISTOPHERA.COONS DELAWARERICHARDBLUMENTHAL CONNECTICUT
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COMMITTEEONTHEJUDICIARYWASHINGTON DC20510 6275
KOLANL DAVIS
hief ounselandStaff irector
KRISTINE
 
LUCIUS
emocratic hief ounselandStaff irector
January22,2015
VI ELE TRONI TR NSMISSION
TheHonorableEricHolderAttorneyGeneralU.S,DepartmentofJustice950PennsylvaniaAvenue,N.W.Washington,D.C.20530DearAttorneyGeneralHolder:AccordingtoarecentUSATodayarticle,theFederalBureauoflnvestigation,theU.S.MarshalsService,anddozensofotherlawenforcementagencieshaveaccesstoradartechnologythatcanpreciselydetectmovementinsidebuildings. Weappreciatethepotentiallawenforcementvalueofthesedevices.However,technologythatcanessentiallylookinsidepeoples homespresentsprivacyconcernsofthehighestorder.Therehasbeenlittletonopublicdiscussionofthistechnologyanditisunclearwhetheragenciesareobtaininganylegalprocess- letaloneawarrant-priortodeployingit. PrivacyofthehomeisatthecoreoftheFourthAmendment.Morethanadecadeago, theU.S.SupremeCourtdecidedthattheusewithoutawarrantofthermalimagingequipmentthatcoulddetectactivityinsideahomeviolatedtheFourthAmendment. Similarly,in2013,theCourtfoundaFourthAmendmentviolationwhenpolicebroughtadrug-sniffingdogontoanindividual sfrontporchwithoutawarrant. Unsurprising1y,theU.S.CourtofAppealsfortheTenthCircuitrecentlynotedthe obvious and grave FourthAmendmentconcernsassociatedwiththeuseoftheradartechnologythatisthesubjectofthisletter. OnDecember23,2014,weraisedsimilarconcernsinalettertoyouabouttheuseofcell-sitesimulators(sometimesreferredtoas Stingrays or dirtboxes ),whichcancollectdatafromlargenumbersofcellphonesintheirvicinity-includingphonesinprivatehomes.This patternofrevelationsraisesquestionsaboutwhethertheJusticeDepartmentisdoingenoughtoensurethat-priortothesetechnologies firstuse-lawenforcementofficialsaddresstheir privacyimplications,seekappropriatelegalprocess,andfullyinformthecourtsandCongress
 
BradHeath, Newpoliceradarscan see insidehomes,
USAToday
January20,2015, http://www.lIsatoday.com/story/news/20
15 
9/police-radar-see-through-walls/2?0076
I
5/.
 
Kyllo
v.
UnitedStates 
533U.S.27(2001),
3
Florida
v.
Jardines 
133S.Ct.1409(2013).
 
UnitedStates
v.
Denson
2014WL7380656(10thCir.2014).
 
AttorneyGeneralHolderJanuary22,2015Page2of2
abouthowtheywork.Thereisalsoaquestionastohowmanyothernewtechnologiesarebeing usedbylawenforcementagenciesthatraisesimilarprivacyconcerns. Accordingly,pleasearrangeforknowledgeableofficialstoprovideabriefingtoJudiciaryCommitteestaffnolaterthanFebruary13,2015.Shouldyouhaveanyquestions,pleasecontactJayLimat(202)224-5225orLaraFlintat(202)224-7703.Thankyou. Sincerely,CharlesE.GrassleyChairman
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RankingMember