geofence

A geofence is a virtual barrier that reacts whenever a device crosses a geographic boundary. Geofences are sometimes used by law enforcement to identify people who may have been in a particular area at the time of a crime based on their location data. 

In 2026, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that geofences are eligible for Fourth Amendment protections because people have a reasonable expectation of privacy in their location data. See: Chatrie v. United States, 609 U.S. __ (2026). This does not, however, mean that law enforcement is unable to seek this information, only that the information is afforded protections under the Fourth Amendment. A geofence warrant is the means by which law enforcement is able to constitutionally retrieve this information. 

[Last reviewed in September of 2026 by the Wex Definitions Team]

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