Case Law Index
federal1979
Additional Highlights:Fourth AmendmentThird Party DoctrinePen Register
Smith v. Maryland
United States Supreme Court
Key Holding
A person has no reasonable expectation of privacy in phone numbers dialed because that information is voluntarily conveyed to the telephone company.
Case Summary
Smith v. Maryland established the third-party doctrine in the context of telephone records, holding that individuals assume the risk that information voluntarily shared with third parties like telephone companies will be revealed to the government, providing no Fourth Amendment protection.
Primary Source: https://www.courtlistener.com/opinion/110097/smith-v-maryland/