Contributing Allies

We the Alliance

Why Congress must update USA’s definition of Internet privacy

There are several changes that the new US administration has been trying to push, but amidst this seemingly wasteful effort, there is one particular issue that truly requires Congressional action: making sure the US has an up-to-date, 21st-century-ready understanding of what law enforcement should look like regarding Internet data. That’s why several tech-related groups like ACT the App Association, the Software Alliance, the Internet Association, and the US Chamber of Commerce have expressed their support for continued conversation around the topic in an open letter.

The US does have the Electronic Communications Privacy Act (ECPA), which was enacted more than 30 years ago when the Internet as we know it today did not exist.

As outlined in the letter, the US does currently have the Electronic Communications Privacy Act(ECPA), which was enacted more than 30 years ago when the Internet as we know it today did not exist. It’s not surprising, therefore, that the US Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit recently ruled that the ECPA does not authorize US law enforcement to obtain a warrant for certain communications content stored overseas by a US company. In other words, current Internet- and data privacy-related laws in the US put US tech giants like Apple or Microsoft as well as small businesses in a difficult position.

According to these groups, this outdated law could raise very serious problems:

Putting U.S. citizens and U.S. companies at risk by encouraging reciprocal action by foreign governments;

Comments

Privacy Policy

Why Congress must update USA’s definition of Internet privacy is dedicated to protecting consumer privacy on the Internet. Our practices are consistent with privacy guidelines established by eTrust.com.

Why Congress must update USA’s definition of Internet privacy does not require any personal information to obtain access to our website.

Why Congress must update USA’s definition of Internet privacy does require limited personal information including name and mailing address from individuals wishing to join as members. Additional information such as e-mail address and phone number may also be requested in order that we may contact members in a timely manner on issues related to our mission.

You will only receive e-mail from us if you request to be added to our e-mail list. You may revise or remove your e-mail address from our files at any time.

Why Congress must update USA’s definition of Internet privacy uses "cookie" technology to obtain non-personal information from our online visitors, such as browser/computer type, number of visitors, and site usage. We do not use cookies to extract personal information.

Our website contains links to other sites, but Why Congress must update USA’s definition of Internet privacy does not necessarily advocate, support or condone the privacy practices or content of these websites.

Why Congress must update USA’s definition of Internet privacy makes all information received from our online visitors as secure as possible against unauthorized access and use. All information is protected by state-of-the-art security technology.

Why Congress must update USA’s definition of Internet privacy respects the individual privacy rights and concerns of visitors to our website. We support meaningful self-regulation of the Internet to ensure that responsible organizations maintain the right to use all communications media to interact with the public.