United States v. Jones was a Supreme Court case decided in 2012. The case involved the warrantless use of a GPS tracking device to monitor the movements of a criminal suspect. The government argued that the use of the device did not constitute a search under the Fourth Amendment, and thus did not require a warrant. The Supreme Court disagreed, ruling that the use of the device constituted a search and that a warrant was required. The Court held that the government's use of the device constituted a trespass on the suspect's property, and that the Fourth Amendment's protection against unreasonable searches and seizures applied. The Court also held that the government's use of the device constituted a search under the Fourth Amendment, and that a warrant was required. The Court's decision was a major victory for privacy rights, as it established that the government must obtain a warrant before using a GPS tracking device to monitor a suspect's movements.

In the dissenting opinion of United States v. Jones, Justice Sotomayor argued that the majority’s decision was too narrow and failed to address the implications of long-term GPS monitoring on citizens’ Fourth Amendment rights. She noted that while it is true that a physical trespass occurred in this case, such an approach fails to consider how technology has changed over time and its impact on privacy expectations. In her view, long-term GPS tracking constitutes a search under the Fourth Amendment because it allows law enforcement officers to gain access to information about individuals which they would not otherwise have access to without their consent or knowledge. Furthermore, she argued that allowing such surveillance without any judicial oversight could lead to potential abuses by law enforcement officials who may use this power for purposes other than those intended by Congress when enacting laws related to criminal investigations. Ultimately, Justice Sotomayor concluded that “it may be necessary…to reconsider [the] premise…that an individual has no reasonable expectation of privacy in his movements from one place to another."