Final answer:
The Supreme Court in United States v. Jones limited the use of warrantless GPS tracking by ruling it as a search under the Fourth Amendment, setting a precedent that was extended in Carpenter v. United States to warrantless access to cell phone location data.
Step-by-step explanation:
The United States v. Jones and Carpenter v. United States cases are significant rulings where the Supreme Court set important precedents regarding the scope of the Fourth Amendment's protection against unreasonable searches and seizures. In United States v. Jones, the Court limited the use of warrantless GPS tracking by law enforcement, establishing that placing a GPS device on a vehicle and tracking its movements constitutes a 'search' under the Fourth Amendment. Meanwhile, Carpenter v. United States extended these privacy protections to include warrantless access to cellular location data, thereby requiring law enforcement to obtain a warrant before accessing historical cell phone location records.
These decisions reflect the Supreme Court's responsiveness to the complexities introduced by modern technology in relation to constitutional rights. The Court's rulings have frequently delineated the limitations on government authority and powers, including a pivot away from broad interpretations of the commerce clause seen in cases like United States v. Lopez. This shift suggests a trend towards a new federalism and a stricter interpretation of Congress's regulatory powers through commerce. The legal landscape continues to evolve as the Court addresses the tensions between state and federal authority, individual rights, and technological advancements.