The House Judiciary Committee has voted unanimously to recommend an amended version of the Email Privacy Act, a bill that was supported by CompTIA and member organizations such as the Wisconsin Technology Council.
The bill (H.R.699) closes a loophole in the current Electronic Communications Privacy Act that allows law enforcement access to emails and other stored communications more than 180 days old without a warrant.
Leaders of a number of tech-based organizations, including Tom Still, president of the Tech Council, met with congressional representatives in February to voice support for the Email Privacy Act and other pending bills.
“After years of hard work, today marked a huge step towards much-needed reform of an outdated law,” said Elizabeth Hyman, vice president of CompTIA, which is the Computing Technology Industry Association. “Reforming ECPA to require a warrant for content is crucial to protecting Americans’ privacy, and we thank the committee for passing this bill without amendments like a civil agency carve-out or a mandatory emergency exception that could have diminished that privacy protection. With 314 co-sponsors, we hope that this bill quickly moves to the House floor, and that the Senate takes similar steps in the coming months.”
U.S. Rep. Jim Sensenbrenner, R-Wis., is a ranking member of the House Judiciary Committee.
About CompTIA
The Computing Technology Industry Association (CompTIA) is the voice of the information technology industry. With about 2,000 member companies, 3,000 academic and training partners and nearly 2 million IT certifications issued, CompTIA is dedicated to advancing industry growth through educational programs, market research, networking events, professional certifications and public policy advocacy.
About CompTIA Advocacy
Through its advocacy arm, CompTIA champions member-driven business and IT priorities that impact all information technology companies – from small managed solutions providers and software developers to large equipment manufacturers and communications service providers. CompTIA gives eyes, ears and a voice to technology companies, informing them of policy developments – and providing the means to do something about it.
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