ACLU Fights for Answers on Police Phone Location Data Tracking

From DailyTech:

Back in the 1990s, in order to track a cell phone you would have to triangulate the signal to its source -- an imprecise science that would merely put you 'in the ballpark' of the caller. That all changed when GPS chips were added to today's smartphones.

The American Civil Liberties Union on Thursday announced [press release] a 'massive coordinated information-seeking campaign', probing police use of location data in their investigations. In total 379 requests for information were filed under state freedom of information laws by 34 local chapters across the country.

Police tracking is something most Americans never think might happen.

GPS devices are typically a highly appreciated addition to cell phones, as they allow precise location-aware maps, turn-by-turn driving directions, and other 'location aware' services. However, they are also used by companies like Google Inc. (GOOG) and Apple, Inc. (AAPL) to target advertisements at users.