California Senate Passes Bill Modernizing Digital Privacy Protections

Privacy Act (Cal-ECPA), “protects Californians against warrantless government access to private electronic communications such as emails, text messages and GPS data that are stored in the cloud and on smartphones, tablets, laptops and other digital devices,” it said. “For what logical reason should a handwritten letter stored in a desk drawer enjoy more protection from warrantless government surveillance than an email sent to a colleague or a text message to a loved one?” Leno said. The bill was co-sponsored by Republican Sen. Joel Anderson and supported by more than a dozen tech companies including Apple, Facebook, Google and Twitter, the release said. California Executive Director of the Internet Association Robert Callahan said it’s time to update laws because Californians expect their inboxes to have the same safeguards as their mailboxes. The bill was backed by the American Civil Liberties Union, Electronic Frontier Foundation and the California Newspaper Publishers Association, it said. “Californians should be able to use smartphones, email, social networks and any other modern technology without worrying about whether their personal lives will remain private,” said Chris Conley, policy attorney with the ACLU of Northern California. “Especially after revelations of warrantless mass surveillance by the NSA, California needs to catch up with other states across the nation, including Texas and Maine, which have already updated their privacy laws for the modern digital world,” Conley said. “CalECPA is a comprehensive digital privacy bill that is consistent with the strong protections provided in the California Constitution,” said EFF Activist Adi Kamdar. “As technology increasingly becomes a part of our everyday lives, it is crucial to update state laws pertaining to electronic devices, emails, texts and more,” he said. The bill will be heard in the Assembly this summer, the release said.