Don’t be fooled by the canard of a supreme court ruling in 1979, Smith v Maryland. That was overturned by 18 U.S.C. §3121 et seq years later.
The empty skirts on fox have cited this case as justification for millions of pen registers. The logic of the original case was completely twisted.
It said that because originally when phones first came out, you had to tell the operator (Hey Mable, get me Suzanne Mudd) so therefore there was no expectation of privacy, and just because it’s all automated now, there still should be no expectation of privacy. Good thing Congress intervened.
Also, it’s interesting how Wyden made a liar out of “the clap” Clapper in Congressional hearings. Wyden had been briefed on the domestic spying but was bound by secrecy not to reveal it. That didn’t stop him from asking “on off, on off” Clapper if the nsa was spying on millions of americans, and he knew full well he was lying when Clapper told the committee under oath that no such activity was going on. When will Clapper be arrested?