The long-stalled email privacy bill is finally moving forward as a key panel in the U.S. House of Representatives voted in favor of its passage on Wednesday. The legislation would prohibit the government from accessing emails without a search warrant.
The House Judiciary Committee approved the Email Privacy Act in a 28-0 vote. According to Reuters, the legislation would remedy the loophole in the 1986 Electronic Communications Privacy Act by now requiring law enforcement agencies to obtain a warrant before accessing emails and other digital communications that are more than 180 days old.
Under the current law, federal authorities only need a subpoena to obtain such communications from service providers. The difference between a subpoena and warrant is that the latter is subject to more stringent judicial control.
"In an increasingly digital world, our laws have to be updated to meet advancement in our daily lives," House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy said in a statement, via The Hill.
Rep. Kevin Yoder, the lead sponsor of the bill, called the legislation a celebration for "Fourth Amendment advocates who have fought long and hard to move the Email Privacy Act" and for "all Americans, who are one step closer to having private and secure digital communications."
Over 300 House members signed up to co-sponsor the bill, making it the most popular bill that is yet to receive a full vote in Congress.
The bill has received the support of the White House and tech companies that provide digital communication services.
"The changes reflect current practices: DOJ and FBI policies already require law enforcement officials seeking content to obtain a search warrant and many service providers will not relinquish their users' content without one," a letter signed by a coalition of tech companies and privacy advocates stated, as quoted by RT.
The progress is perceived as a step towards the highly-anticipated victory for many digital privacy rights advocates.
Rep. McCarthy said he plans to bring the legislation to a full vote on the week of April 25, raising the chances of it becoming a law within this year.
