Supreme Court Rules On Cell Phone Searches, Aereo

The Supreme Court Wednesday issued two opinions related to technology. In a unanimous decision, the court says police may not generally search the cellphones of people they arrest without first getting search warrants. The justices say cellphones are powerful devices unlike anything else police may find on someone they arrest.

The court also has ruled that a startup Internet company has to pay broadcasters when it takes television programs from the airwaves and allows subscribers to watch them on smartphones and other portable devices.

In a 6-3 vote, the justices said Aereo Inc. is violating the broadcasters' copyrights by taking the signals for free. The ruling preserves the ability of the television networks to collect huge fees from cable and satellite systems that transmit their programming.

Legal expert Emily Bazelon discusses these two decisions with Here & Now's Robin Young.

The Associated Press contributed reporting to this article.