Senate Committee Passes Electronic Communications Privacy Act
Search Warrant Needed For Police to Access Electronic Communications
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: (212) 549-2666; media@aclu.org
WASHINGTON – The Senate Judiciary Committee today passed the Electronic Communications Privacy Act (ECPA). The bill (H.R.2471 substitute), introduced by Senator Patrick Leahy (D-VT), will require law enforcement agencies to obtain search warrants to access private electronic communications and other content, such as email, private social network posts and other information stored with cloud based services. The ECPA replaces 1980s legislation that has become out-of-date and provides inadequate protections for users.
“This is an important gain for privacy. We are very happy that the committee voted that all electronic content like emails, photos and other communications held by companies like Google and Facebook should be protected with a search warrant,” said Chris Calabrese, legislative counsel for the American Civil Liberties Union. “We believe law enforcement should use the same standard to search your inbox that they do to search your home.”
Stay Informed
Every month, you'll receive regular roundups of the most important civil rights and civil liberties developments. Remember: a well-informed citizenry is the best defense against tyranny.
By completing this form, I agree to receive occasional emails per the terms of the ACLU’s privacy policy.
The Latest in National Security
-
ACLU Acknowledges Improvements to DOJ Racial Profiling Policy, But Says Far More is Needed
-
ACLU Applauds Court For Allowing Case Challenging FBI’s Wrongful Prosecution of Chinese American Physics Professor To Move Forward
-
Shen v. Simpson
-
Chinese Immigrants Sue Florida Over Unconstitutional and Discriminatory Law Banning Them From Buying Land
ACLU's Vision
The American Civil Liberties Union is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to defend and preserve the individual rights and liberties guaranteed to every person in this country by the Constitution and laws of the United States of America.
Learn More About National Security

The ACLU’s National Security Project is dedicated to ensuring that U.S. national security policies and practices are consistent with the Constitution, civil liberties, and human rights.