Didn’t the courts rule that thermal imaging could not be used in surveillance of residences?
No. In 1992, officers conducted surveillance on the house of a suspected marijuana grower (Danny Kyllo) and based upon the abnormal heat signatures coming from the house, entered, found a grow operation, and arrested Kyllo. Subsequent challenges and appeals all the way up to the U.S. Supreme court, resulted in that court’s ruling that there was a violation of 4th amendment rights to privacy, in retreat to one’s own residence. The result? Thermal imaging can still be used for this type of surveillance, BUT probable cause must be established and a prior warrant issued before surveillance. This ruling applies ONLY to surveillance of PRIMARY RESIDENCES.
