You (and your cell phone) just got new privacy rights. You can thank N.J. for that.

As seen in this article, “The U.S. Supreme Court on Friday ruled that your cell phone’s location data is private, and that anyone seeking access must first obtain a warrant.

“The 5-4 ruling (Carpenter vs. United States) breaks with previous federal decisions, and has massive implications for New Jerseyans and all Americans.

“‘Given the fact that there are nearly 400 million cell phone accounts in the U.S., the reach of today’s decision is potentially very broad,’ said Peter Verniero, a former associate state Supreme Court justice.

“‘Although this decision applies specifically to criminal law cases, the (U.S.) Supreme Court’s strong embrace of a cell phone user’s expectation of privacy could prompt policy changes in a civil law or commercial context.’”