Digital privacy gets push from the right

Momentum to update the nation’s antiquated e-mail privacy laws is again coursing through the Capitol — and this time, movement is coming from the right.

Republicans have been increasingly attaching their names to reforming the Electronic Communications Privacy Act — an issue where Democrats have traditionally taken the lead. Four Republican congressmen introduced a pair of bills that would require government investigators to score a warrant before obtaining someone’s e-mail content. Reps. Matt Salmon (R-AZ) and Trent Franks (R-AZ) are partnering on a House version of Electronic Communications Privacy Act (ECPA) reform; Rep. Kevin Yoder (R-KS) and Rep. Tom Graves (R-GA) are teaming up on the Email Privacy Act. Both bills are companion measures to legislation from Sens. Patrick Leahy (D-VT) and Mike Lee (R-UT) that cleared the Senate Judiciary Committee last month. Sen Leahy has long been pushing to update the rules. The Republican bills were an exclamation point after Sen Lee officially signed on to Leahy’s push and Rep. Ted Poe (R-TX) joined an ECPA reform measure by Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-CA).