Leahy To Hold Hearings On Administration's ECPA Proposal
Senate Judiciary Chairman Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., Thursday said he plans to hold hearings this fall before agreeing to change a law giving the government the power to obtain more information on the electronic communications of U.S. citizens.
The Obama administration is seeking changes to the Electronic Communications Privacy Act that would allow the FBI to obtain from Internet service providers additional information without warrants. The information includes the times and dates e-mails were sent and received and possibly a user's browser history. Leahy said the move raises serious privacy and civil liberties concerns.
"Given the technical advances of the last two decades and the need for a comprehensive, national cybersecurity strategy, it is clear that the Electronic Communications Privacy Act must be updated to reflect the realities of the digital age," Leahy said in a statement.
"While the government should have the tools that it needs to keep us safe, American citizens should also have protections against improper intrusions into their private electronic communications and online transactions," he added. "We must also address past government abuses of these authorities."
Congress has begun holding hearings on updating ECPA and civil liberties groups, Internet firms, telecommunications providers and others have launched a coalition to push for changes to ECPA.
However, the changes sought by the Digital Due Process coalition appear to clash with what the administration is seeking. The coalition says ECPA should be updated to provide "stronger privacy protections for communications and associated data in response to changes in technology and new services, while preserving the legal tools necessary for government agencies to enforce the laws, respond to emergency circumstances and protect the public."
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