Privacy Online: Laws/legislation
Archived guide
Electronic Communications Privacy Act (ECPA) of 1986
This infographic from the ACLU underscores the urgent need to update the legislation that protects the privacy of electronic communication:
- You're NOT going to need a warrant for that!Infographic from the ACLU on all the electronic information of you that law enforcement can obtain legally without a warrant.
- Modernizing the Electronic Communications Privacy Act (ECPA)From the American Civil Liberties Union
Stronger Laws Needed
- 4 Ways Congress Can Provide Stronger Privacy ProtectionsFrom The Hill, April 7, 2017.
- 10 States Take Internet Privacy Matters Into Their Own HandsFrom Government Technology, April 10, 2017.
- American Citizens: U.S. Border Agents Can Search Your Cell PhoneFrom NBC News, 2017. Includes quotes from Oregon Senator Ron Wyden about the need to update policies.
- The Conservative Case Against Trashing Online Privacy RulesFrom Wired, April 2017.
- Electronic Privacy Information CenterTracks current legislation and legal rulings related to online privacy.
- Lawmakers Urged to Reform Student Data Privacy LawFrom the Center for Digital Education, Feb. 2015
- YouTube Users Beware: Your Viewing Habits Can Be TrackedFrom Science Daily, March 15, 2017.
We Can Fight Terror Without Sacrificing Our Rights
USA Freedom Act
In June 2015, Congress passed the USA Freedom Act to restrict the warrantless NSA surveillance that had been sanctioned by the USA PATRIOT ACT. Here's the analysis from the Electronic Frontier Foundation.
- USA Freedom Act Passes: What We Celebrate, What We Mourn, and Where We Go From HereFrom the Electronic Frontier Foundation, June 2015
- A breakdown of the Patriot Act, Freedom Act, and FISAFrom Comparitech, February 2, 2018