The U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to take up a case delving into whether law enforcement officials must obtain a warrant in order to gain access to cellphone records containing a suspect's location data.

The court announced Monday that it had granted certiorari in United States v. Carpenter, an appeal of a decision from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit. The court held that investigators did not need to show probable cause before seeking historical records from mobile communications companies that show which cell towers customers' devices have accessed for service.

Justice Department officials have argued that, under the Stored Communications Act, the government need only show “specific and articulable facts” that the records are relevant to an ongoing criminal investigation — a lesser standard than probable cause — to get a court order forcing companies to hand over the records.