Congressional Bills Would Firm Up Digital Privacy

Get a warrant, grabby hands

Momentum to update the nation's antiquated email privacy laws is again coursing through the Capitol — and this time, movement is coming from the right.

Republicans have been increasingly attaching their names to reforming the Electronic Communications Privacy Act — an issue where Democrats have traditionally taken the lead.

Four Republican congressmen introduced a pair of bills this week that would require government investigators to score a warrant before obtaining someone's email content. Arizona Reps. Matt Salmon and Trent Franks are partnering on a House version of ECPA reform; Kansas Rep. Kevin Yoder and Georgia Rep. Tom Graves are teaming up on the Email Privacy Act.