Wyden Joins Bipartisan, Bicameral Group to Protect Online Privacy

WASHINGTON– Today, Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) joined a bipartisan, bicameral group of legislators as cosponsor of a bill to modernize our nation’s electronic privacy laws and bring protections against warrantless searches up to date with the technological realities of the 21^st century. The “Electronic Communications Privacy Amendments Act of 2015” (ECPA) was submitted in the Senate by Senators Mike Lee (R-UT) and Patrick Leahy (D-VT).  Representatives Kevin Yoder (R-KS) and Jared Polis (D-CO) sponsored the House version of the bill.

“In 2015 it is absurd that the government is free to rifle through Americans’ emails that are older than 6 months. Because of this arcane law, as technology advances, Americans’ civil liberties are eroding,” said Wyden. “This bill ensures the basic privacy protections all Americans’ are guaranteed by the Fourth Amendment and creates a framework that will continue to protect them as technology advances.”

This legislation is also carefully crafted so it does not impede the ability of law enforcement agencies to conduct investigations. The ECPA Amendments Act of 2015 enjoys broad support from the technology industry, privacy advocates, constitutional scholars, and policy groups across the ideological spectrum. 

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