Senate Panel Approves Email Warrant Bill

Would require judge to sign off on accessing people's private correspondence

A key Senate panel approved legislation Thursday  that would require police to obtain a search warrant from a judge before they can read a private citizen's emails, Facebook messages or other electronic communications.

The revised Electronic Communications Privacy Act (ECPA) passed by the Senate Judiciary Committee will now move on to the full Senate for a vote. Passage would be a victory for privacy advocates, who say current privacy rules have been left in the dust by technological progress.