What was the central issue in Katz v. United States regarding privacy?

The central issue in Katz v. United States revolves around the expectation of privacy standard for conversations and activities. The Supreme Court clarified that the Fourth Amendment protects people and their privacy rather than merely their physical locations. In this case, Charles Katz was convicted based on evidence obtained from an overheard phone conversation in a public phone booth. The Court held that Katz had a reasonable expectation of privacy in his conversations, even though he was in a public space.

This ruling expanded the interpretation of the Fourth Amendment, emphasizing that if an individual demonstrates a subjective expectation of privacy that society recognizes as reasonable, then they are afforded protection from unwarranted government intrusion. Thus, the landmark decision emphasized the importance of privacy in communications, establishing the principle that surveillance or interception of conversations should require a warrant if it infringes on this expectation of privacy.