Heritage Action for America unites with ATR, CDT and ACLU in the effort to reform ECPA
WASHINGTON, D.C.-Digital 4th, a pro-Internet-privacy reform group, today announced Heritage Action for America joined Americans for Tax Reform (ATR), the Center for Democracy & Technology (CDT) and the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) in supporting reforms that bring communications privacy protections into the 21st century. Digital 4th is a coalition dedicated to ensuring the information we transmit or store online has the same Fourth Amendment protections as data that is stored in a file cabinet or exchanged over the phone and through the mail. Digital 4th also works to ensure that the government obtains a warrant before tracking the location of a person's cell phone over time.
"The free market, American competitiveness and individual liberty are necessary for our economy to succeed and nation to prosper," said Tim Chapman, Chief Operating Officer of Heritage Action for America. "We are excited to join Digital 4th in supporting reforms that help American companies compete in the global marketplace. ECPA reforms will not only help protect the individual freedoms we are guaranteed by the Constitution, but also ensure our laws continue to encourage success in our technology and cloud computing industries."
When the Electronic Communications Privacy Act (ECPA) passed in 1986, it was intended to extend Fourth Amendment protections to communications conducted over the Internet. Since 1986, technology has changed rapidly, but the law remains virtually the same. The goal of Digital 4th is to simplify, clarify, and unify ECPA's standards, providing stronger privacy protections for communications in response to changes in technology.
"Digital 4th is pleased that Heritage Action for America is joining the fight to bring ECPA standards into the 21st century," said Greg Nojeim, Senior Counsel at the Center for Democracy & Technology. "The ECPA debate is going to be one of the most important privacy conversations of our time, and we are happy to have the support of such an important organization. Heritage Action for America's membership demonstrates the growing momentum for ECPA reform."
Digital 4th is a coalition that provides resources and information relating to ECPA reform legislation as it unfolds in Congress. For more information, please visit digital4th.org.