Technology offers us new techniques for monitoring friends and loved ones. But when law enforcement seeks to capitalize on those technical advances to catch criminals, New Jersey courts must grapple with the tension between law enforcement needs and privacy intrusions.

Geofence warrants are law enforcement’s latest tool, and the next fault line in privacy litigation. Our smartphones contain location data, which reveal to a precise degree our locations for every moment we travel with our devices. That can be a great comfort to parents, by ensuring their new teenage driver has made it to school safely. Location tracking is an efficient way to meet up with trusted friends whose information is shared.