ACLU praises new Illinois limits on cellphone surveillance

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) - The American Civil Liberties Union is praising a new Illinois law that limits how police can use devices that collect cellphone data and track phone locations.

In a statement Friday after Gov. Bruce Rauner signed the legislation into law, the ACLU said the technology is "too powerful to remain unregulated."

The technology is often known by the brand name Stingray. It gathers phone-usage data on targets of criminal investigations. But it also gathers data on other cellphones in the area.

The new law requires police to delete non-target phone information within 24 hours. The law also prohibits police from accessing data for use in an investigation not authorized by a judge.

A dozen states have adopted regulations.

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The bill is SB2343

Online: https://www.ilga.gov