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Government Surveillance

Amicus Brief in United States v. Moore-Bush

The Center for Democracy & Technology filed an amicus brief in the First Circuit Court of Appeals in United States v. Moore-Bush arguing that persistent, warrantless law enforcement video surveillance of a home constitutes an unreasonable search. For eight months, without a warrant, law enforcement placed a home under persistent video surveillance using a camera placed on a utility pole (‘pole camera’). With a view of the driveway and the front of the house, law enforcement officers could—remotely and at their leisure—monitor the comings and goings of the residents of the home, their visitors, and any passers-by. The camera could be remotely panned, tilted, and zoomed in, and the recorded footage could be reviewed via a searchable digital log.

We are grateful to Trisha Anderson, Alexander Berengaut, and Jadzia Pierce of Covington & Burling LLP for representing CDT on this brief.