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Time to Upgrade 28-Year-Old Electronic Privacy Law?

By Andrew Ramonas
October 02, 2014

Apple Inc., Google Inc. and Microsoft Corp. are putting new pressure on Congress to update a 28-year-old law that governs how the federal government can obtain U.S. citizens' electronic data.

The technology giants joined dozens of tech companies, civil liberties groups and other organizations last month in calls to congressional leaders to hold votes on Electronic Communications Privacy Act (ECPA) reform bills. The measures, which were introduced last year, have bipartisan support in the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate.

The House legislation, the Email Privacy Act, from Rep. Kevin Yoder (R-KS), has 263 Republican and Democratic cosponsors but is pending in committee. The Senate bill, the Electronic Communications Privacy Act Amendments Act, from Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT), has six Republican and Democratic cosponsors and is waiting for consideration by the full Senate.

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