The issue focused on whether technology companies should be allowed to conduct digital searches on computers or phones without the customer's permission.

In an initial ruling in August, the federal appeals court said such searches were allowed if they were related to national security and there was "no reasonable expectation of privacy."

But the Second Circuit issued a separate opinion that found that such searches were allowed if they were related to commercial computer systems and there was "no reasonable expectation of privacy."

The technology companies had argued that even