Privacy Protection Updates Act

This bill changes the Privacy Protection Act of 1980, a federal law that limits government searches and seizures of journalists' work materials and documents. Materials taken in violation of the law, and evidence derived from them, could not be used in court cases, investigations, or other government proceedings, and affected people could ask a court to suppress them. Officials would need a court warrant to search for these materials under an existing exception, and the application would have to disclose facts that might cast doubt on the exception and name the targets of the investigation. In emergencies, officials could search first but would have to report to a court within 48 hours, and the court could order materials returned and copies destroyed. Materials stored with an online or cloud service would be treated as belonging to the customer, not the service provider.

Full text and official record on Congress.gov

Sponsors

• Ron Wyden Democrat sponsor
• 0 cosponsors