Technology

A key House panel voted Wednesday to pass an email privacy bill that would stop the government from being able to read Americans' old emails without a warrant. The House Judiciary Committee voted 28-0 to approve the Email Privacy Act, a bipartisan bill that would replace a 1986 law that allows government investigators to peruse emails at will if the… Read more »

Congresswoman Suzan DelBene (WA-01) today celebrated the long-awaited House Judiciary Committee passage of the Email Privacy Act (H.R. 699). This legislation would update the 1986 Electronic Communications Privacy Act (ECPA), the main statute governing law enforcement access to digital records and content, such as email. The bill would require law enforcement to obtain a warrant to… Read more »

Supporters of email privacy legislation will not rely solely on stand-alone legislation to get their measure passed by year's end.  If the bill fails to get through both chambers during a tight election-year schedule, the sponsors will press to attach it as a rider to either spending or authorization bills.  Click here for the full story. Read more »

Even for politicians who knew that government law enforcement agencies were regularly watching American cities from above, the dense pattern of circles on the maps BuzzFeed News published last week, showing more than four months of flights by the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), were an eye-opener. Click here to read the full story. Read more »

Two House committees on Monday revealed the creation of a joint encryption working group. The panel, composed of four Republicans and four Democrats, will examine potential solutions to the challenges law enforcement officials face as encryption becomes more widespread. While the technology is seen as vital to digital security and online privacy, investigators warn it is also helping… Read more »

Congresswoman Suzan DelBene (WA-01) today led more than 60 House members in calling for a $100 million investment in computer science education. The letter to House Appropriators, which was co-led by Congressman Tony Cárdenas (CA-29), aims to make computer science available to all students. “Unfortunately, too few students in the United States today are exposed to computer… Read more »

Dear Friend, In this Internet age, broadband plays a significant role in our ability to communicate, do business and educate our children. But too many communities, especially in remote or rural parts of the country, don’t have reliable access. I recently heard from tribal leaders in the First District who told me about their struggles to get resources to improve… Read more »

Congresswoman Suzan DelBene (WA-01) today defended the use of encryption to protect Americans’ privacy ahead of a House Judiciary Committee hearing on the topic. “Our first priority must always be keeping Americans safe and I believe we can find a balance between preserving one’s right to privacy and protecting our national security,” DelBene said. “As a… Read more »

Congresswoman Suzan DelBene (WA-01) today helped introduce a bill to create a Digital Security Commission bringing stakeholders together to develop recommendations for maintaining privacy and digital security. “All sides – including lawmakers, industry leaders, privacy advocates, security experts and law enforcement – need to come together to ensure we’re doing… Read more »

Tech and privacy advocates are pressuring House Republicans to take up an email privacy bill without considering amendments that they say would water it down.  The privacy bill has been held up for years, despite general agreement in Congress that the government should be required to obtain a warrant before going to technology companies and demanding copies of emails.  The… Read more »