WASHINGTON, D.C. --- Congressman Leonard Lance (NJ-07) this week supported passage of the Electronic Communications Privacy Amendments Act, a bipartisan measure he co-sponsored to modernize electronic privacy laws and protect internet users from warrantless searches. The measure would revise an arcane 1986 law permitting warrantless searches of emails dated older than 6 months.

“Government officials can legally search some electronic communications—even emails—without a warrant. I firmly believe the protection from illegal search and seizure extends to emails and the digital space and this measure ends the ability of government to overreach. Consumers deserve privacy and the peace-of-mind that invasive federal agencies are not obtaining personal email account information and other digital communications without a warrant,” said Lance, a member of the Energy and Commerce Communications and Technology Subcommittee.

“It’s time to update email privacy laws and bring them into the 21st century.”

The measure will update the Electronic Communications Privacy Act, which currently allows government agencies the ability to access electronic communications that have been stored for 180 days without a warrant. Under this statute, emails and other electronic communications do not receive the same Fourth Amendment protections as physical correspondence, which would require a warrant to access.

“By updating this statute we build trust among government, service providers and consumers,” concluded Lance.

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