Does the 4th amendment apply to private citizens acting independently?

The correct understanding is that the Fourth Amendment does not apply to private citizens acting independently. The Fourth Amendment is specifically designed to protect individuals from unreasonable searches and seizures conducted by government agents or law enforcement officials. It establishes the need for probable cause and, in many cases, a warrant before searches or seizures can occur.

When private citizens conduct searches or seizures on their own, they are not acting as agents of the government, and thus, the constraints of the Fourth Amendment do not apply to their actions. This distinction is crucial in constitutional law, as it allows individuals and organizations to conduct their own investigations, provided they do not involve government officials.

For example, if a private citizen searches someone else's property without any government involvement, that search would not be subject to Fourth Amendment scrutiny. This is why the Fourth Amendment's protections are grounded in the relationship between the individual and the state, rather than in the actions of private persons acting on their own volition.