Tech Groups Urge Passage of ICPA Establishing Clear Law Enforcement Rules for Data Access

The technology industry is lauding reintroduction of the International Communications Privacy Act that would require law enforcement agencies to get a warrant for a person's communications stored by service providers (see 1707270043). ICPA also sets down rules on when U.S. law enforcement can access data that belongs to a foreigner located outside the U.S., including notifying the person's country of citizenship and giving it the opportunity to protect the rights of its citizen. BSA|The Software Alliance, the Computer & Communications Industry Association, CTA, the Information Technology Industry Council, Software & Information Industry Association and others sent a joint letter Thursday to Sens. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, and Chris Coons, D-Del., supporting S-1671. The groups wrote that companies face problems with "complying with multiple, often conflicting, privacy laws and regulations" that undermine users' confidence in tech products and services while creating barriers for law enforcement investigations. Richard Salgado, Google director-Law Enforcement and Information Security, also blogged about the company's support for the bill, which is co-sponsored by Sen. Dean Heller, R-Nev. The three senators introduced the bill last year but it never advanced out of committee.