Dem Trio Looks to Update Wiretap Act
Sens. Arlen Specter, D-Penn., Russ Feingold, D-Wis., and Ted Kaufman, D-Del., introduced legislation to amend federal wiretapping law to cover video surveillance, they announced Friday. Currently, the law protects against secretly recording conversations by phone and in person, and against the interception of electronic communication, but does not extend to accessing video feeds.
Concern over the possible loophole arose this year after a Pennsylvania family alleged that school administrators monitored their son using a secret webcam embedded in a school-issued laptop. The family filed suit against the Lower Merion School District in February, contending that the school's secret monitoring came to light when the student was reprimanded for actions caught on camera in his own home. The case has become a national controversy and a rallying point for privacy advocates.
The senators said their legislation would aim to close a gap in the law that could lead to significant privacy breaches. "Cameras in computers and cell phones are ubiquitous, making it urgent that the federal Wiretap Act protect our citizens from unwarranted intrusions in their homes where there is a reasonable expectation of privacy," Specter said in a statement.
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