Issues:Â Privacy
Access to customer information from Internet infrastructure providers should follow due process of law.
In some instances, law enforcement agencies have a legitimate need to access personal online data—but government access to data must be preceded by due process procedures set out in the 4th Amendment in regards to search and seizure.
United States law is clear on the privacy of phone calls and other non-digital communications: government officials and agencies need a search warrant based on probable cause to gain access. However, such protections don’t extend to email.
A warrant is needed for messages located on the computer of a sender or receiver, but messages older than 180 days can be obtained from the servers of Internet infrastructure providers and other third parties with only a subpoena or court order. A court order can be based on a standard lower than probable cause, and many agencies can issue themselves a subpoena without an outside judge.
Recent Updates On Privacy
Access To Data, Internet Governance, Privacy, US Policy
i2Coalition Applauds Sen. Franken’s Surveillance Transparency Act of 2013
i2Coalition supports Sen. Al Franken’s (D-MN) bill to increase transparency about government surveillance activities authorized under section 215 of the PATRIOT Act and section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. The Surveillance Transparency Act of 2013 would require the federal government to release annual reports detailing the amount and types of information collected through […]
Access To Data, Privacy, US Policy
National Security Agency, NSA
Internet Infrastructure Coalition (i2Coalition) Statement on Reps. Amash and Conyers’ Amendment Limiting NSA Surveillance Activities
Washington, DC – Internet Infrastructure Coalition (i2Coalition) Co-Founder and Board Chair Christian Dawson today released the following statement on an amendment put forth by Congressmen Amash and Conyers to curtail the NSA’s surveillance practices: “It is unfortunate that Congress voted today against the privacy of American citizens. The Amash/Conyers amendment would have ensured that our […]
Access To Data, Privacy, US Policy
ECPA, Electronic Communications Privacy Act
Internet Infrastructure Coalition (i2Coalition) Signs Letter to Officials Urging Government Transparency
Washington, DC – The Internet Infrastructure Coalition (i2Coalition) today joined other leaders from a wide spectrum of industries in signing a letter to President Obama, Attorney General Holder, and other leaders in government. The letter urges greater transparency in national security-related requests by the US government to Internet, telephone, and web-based service providers for information […]
Privacy, The Internet Infrastructure Industry
Video: “The Future of Customer Privacy” HostingCon Panel
The Internet Infrastructure Coalition (i2Coalition) hosted a series of “Issues and Trends” panels with leaders of the Internet industry during HostingCon held in Austin, TX last month on June 17-19, 2013. The panels focused on the necessity of maintaining a free and open Internet, the future of privacy for customers, the importance of Internet infrastructure […]
Access To Data, Patent Reform, Privacy, The Internet Infrastructure Industry, US Policy
National Security Agency, NSA
Video: “Money Stealing Trolls” HostingCon Panel
The Internet Infrastructure Coalition (i2Coalition) hosted a series of “Issues and Trends” panels with leaders of the Internet industry during HostingCon held in Austin, TX last month on June 17-19, 2013. The panels focused on the necessity of maintaining a free and open Internet, the future of privacy for customers, the importance of Internet infrastructure […]
Access To Data, Member Spotlight, Privacy, US Policy
ECPA, Electronic Communications Privacy Act
Data Foundry and the i2Coalition Applaud Texas Email Privacy Bill
The following is a guest post from Ron Yokubaitis of Data Foundry. Last week, Texas Governor Rick Perry signed into law HB 2268, the nation’s strongest email privacy bill. This bill provides much stronger privacy protections than exist with the current federal law, the Electronic Communications Privacy Act of 1986 (ECPA). Looking at the name […]