We recently heard a rumor that when police officers call up cell phone companies and asking for text message records, cell phone companies just hand over those records - records that include not only the identity of the sender and receiver, but also the content of the messages.
As the law struggles to keep up with advances in technology, text message content falls in a gray area. Different laws apply to communications sent over the internet as opposed to records of calls made from your phone. Text messages don't exactly fall in either category - a text is neither a phone call nor an e-mail. And, thanks to smart phones, many people use their phones to send e-mails, Facebook messages, and the like.
To address this problem, and help close the gap between technology and the law, we're working with Senator Roger Katz (R-Augusta) on a new bill that would require law enforcement officers in Maine to get a warrant before they can access your texts. Stay tuned for more updates as the legislative session moves forward!
