Big Brother has his limits.

In Iowa, prosecutors have moved to dismiss criminal gambling charges against various Iowa State players because the authorities went too far in tracking the players’ use of sports-betting apps.

Via ESPN.com, assistant Story County attorney Benjamin Matchan wrote in a court filing that the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation “exceeded the scope of permitted use of tracking software that detected open mobile betting apps in Iowa State athletic facilities.”

“Due to this newly discovered evidence, the State no longer believes further prosecution in this matter is in the interests of justice,” Matchan wrote.

Right. Because they would have lost. They went too far.

Earlier this week, attorneys for former Iowa State football players Isaiah Lee, Jirehl Brock, and Eyioma Uwazurike made a motion to suppress the digital evidence.

They argued that a special agent for the Division of Criminal Investigation “violated the agency’s limited-use agreement with a geofencing tracking firm when he used its software to locate places inside Iowa State athletic facilities where athletes were making wagers on mobile betting platforms,” and that no probable cause existed for the searches.

Apparently, they argued correctly. The prosecution folded. It doesn’t mean violations didn’t occur. It means there are still constitutional limits to what the government can do to prove violations.