The Fourth Amendment to the United States Constitution prohibits the federal government from conducting "unreasonable searches and seizures. Amendment Four to the Constitution was ratified on December 15, 1791.It protects the American people from unreasonable searches and seizures. The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated. What Does the Fourth Amendment Mean? The Fourth Amendment to the US Constitution protects against unreasonable governmental searches. At the time the Fourth Amendment was written "papers" were records of business, ideas, and identity. These protections are grounded in state law and the Fourth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. An annotation about the Fourth Amendment of the Constitution of the United States. The Fourth Amendment restrains the government, and that includes any government employee, not merely Police Officers.