The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit in Atlanta had ruled that there is no reasonable expectation of privacy for the location records. In the case, a federal prosecutor, as part of a 2011 investigation into armed robberies, got access to 67 days of Quartavius Davis’ cell phone records from the wireless service provider without a warrant.

The American Civil Liberties Union and other privacy groups call government access to those records a threat to personal privacy because the records nearly constantly track where a cell phone goes and when. Some lawmakers have sought to protect such data, calling the rules unclear about law enforcement officials’ use to track suspects or review their movements and calls.

Two major congressional efforts are stalled in committees.