In the past few years, the limits of technology have spiraled forward. Computers and cellphones continually get smaller and come equipped with more capabilities, and Internet and GPS tracking continue getting more accurate.

Given the technology that was available when the constitution was written, it's no surprise that people in Rhode Island need new laws to govern the use of newly developed technology. Recently, the Supreme Court ruled unanimously to restrict the police's ability to use GPS devices to track suspects during criminal investigations.

In the landmark case, the court voted to overturn the conviction of drug kingpin who was arrested, convicted and sentenced to life in prison because of drug charges.

Although the ruling is an important step toward protecting the privacy and rights of Americans, the decision was "nuanced and incremental, leaving open the larger questions of how government may use the information generated by modern technology for surveillance purposes."

The court focused on the police physically attaching a GPS to the suspect's vehicle and monitoring his movements for 28 days, even though they didn't have a search warrant. The court agreed that the GPS tracking constituted a search and violated the man's rights.

Although all the justices agreed on that issue, they used varying arguments to reach that decision. One justice wrote that the GPS device constituted a search, so a warrant was necessary. Another justice said that it was the electronic surveillance that was a breach of the man's privacy, meaning it's possible for the police to violate someone's rights without physically trespassing on that person's property.

This case is certainly a step in the right direction, but we will likely continue seeing other similar cases as the use of technology becomes continually more pervasive.

Source: The Washington Post, "Supreme Court: Warrants needed in GPS tracking," Robert Barnes, Jan. 23, 2012