Ronald Bailey Applauds Bill Limiting Unwarranted Police Prying Into Electronic Documents
On Thursday, the Senate Judiciary Committee voted to send the Electronic Communications Privacy Act Amendment Act, introduced by Committee Chair Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), on for consideration by the full Senate. The new law, if adopted by Congress, would finally extend Fourth Amendment protections against unreasonable search and seizure to all emails and other electronic documents stored on third-party electronic devices. Until now police assert that under current laws they can, after 180 days, inspect your electronic documents without bothering with a warrant. Reason Science Correspondent Ronald Bailey applauds this rare triumph of confidentiality over the constabulary.