Document Type
Article
Media Type
text
Publication Title
Northern Illinois University Law Review
Abstract
Since the Soviet Union’s launch of the Sputnik 1 satellite in 1957, our atmosphere has seen a boom in the number of satellites in orbit. Today, it is estimated that there are between five and ten thousand satellites in orbit, most of them owned by private corporations. Our skies will continue to be filled in the coming years as current players increase their satellite fleets, new players arise in the aerospace industry, and nations continue their focus on the uses of space exploration and technology. With the increase of satellites above, communities must now be on alert to an invasion from space different than that of green aliens and UFOs: an invasion of our privacy. Modern satellites can pick up on telecommunications and internet connectivity, can collect vast amounts of data, and can resolve images down to just a few centimeters. With the different forms of satellite surveillance available, the implications of warrantless satellite surveillance on privacy rights are severe.
This Note evaluates the constitutionality of warrantless satellite surveillance, mainly in the context of the home, under Article I, Section Six of the Illinois Constitution. This Note first explores the current approaches to aerial surveillance before analyzing the different forms of satellite surveillance under the Illinois privacy protections afforded by Section Six and other Illinois law.
First Page
89
Last Page
120
Publication Date
11-1-2025
Department
College of Law
Recommended Citation
Ruttenberg, Maxwell A.
(2025)
"Above the Law? Exploring Satellite Surveillance Under the Illinois Bill of Rights,"
Northern Illinois University Law Review: Vol. 46:
Iss.
1, Article 4.
Suggested Citation
Maxwell A. Ruttenberg, Note, Above the Law? Exploring Satellite Surveillance Under the Illinois Bill of Rights, 46 N. Ill. Univ. L. Rev. 89 (2025).
