GPS Act would make it illegal to track users without their consent

{mosads}”They have, right now, the ability to take a GPS device, put it on the bottom of your car and follow you without ever getting a search warrant,” he continued. “I think the American public deserves and expects a degree of personal privacy. We in America don’t work on a presumption of guilt.”

The bill imposes criminal penalties on individuals that use a GPS to track another person’s movements and on cell phone companies that share customers’ location data without clear consent.

The bill provides exceptions for emergencies, warrants, and instances where a parent consents to having their child tracked. Otherwise users must clearly agree to having their data shared with a third party.

The legislation will reportedly be among several bills produced from discussions between the two lawmakers. Wyden has also drawn headlines for placing a hold on the PROTECT IP Act, which would significantly expand the government’s authority to seize domains connected to online piracy.