Washington, D.C. – TechNet, the national, bipartisan network of innovation economy CEOs and senior executives, today welcomed the introduction of legislation in the U.S. Senate to modernize online privacy laws affecting electronic communications.
Senators Mike Lee (R-UT) and Patrick Leahy (D-VT) introduced the ECPA Modernization Act of 2017, which would update the Electronic Communications Privacy Act of 1986 by requiring law enforcement to secure a warrant before accessing content stored in the cloud. The U.S. House of Representatives passed a similar version of this legislation unanimously earlier this year.
“Tax reform isn’t the only policy from 1986 in desperate need of modernizing. The Electronic Communications Privacy Act was also passed in 1986 and should be at the top of Congress’ to-do list as well,” said Linda Moore, president and CEO of TechNet. “Over the past 30 years, online communications have completely reshaped the way we do business and communicate with others, but our policies have failed to keep up with the times and innovative technologies.
“Our current laws do not recognize the reality that more people are storing their documents in the cloud, and they deserve the same Fourth Amendment protections for that property as people who prefer to keep hard copies of their documents in a filing cabinet,” Moore continued. “Congress must reform the Electronic Communications Privacy Act to create a clear set of rules that allow law enforcement agencies to do their jobs to protect us, while safeguarding the privacy rights of law-abiding citizens.”
About TechNet
TechNet is the national, bipartisan network of technology CEOs and senior executives that promotes the growth of the innovation economy by advocating a targeted policy agenda at the federal and 50-state level. TechNet’s diverse membership includes dynamic startups and the most iconic companies on the planet and represents more than 2.5 million employees in the fields of information technology, e-commerce, the sharing and gig economies, advanced energy, biotechnology, venture capital, and finance. TechNet has offices in Washington, D.C., Silicon Valley, San Francisco, Sacramento, Austin, Boston, Seattle, Albany, and Tallahassee.