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Proposed Law Would Limit US Search Warrants For Data Stored Abroad

Posted by timothy on from the step-in-the-right-direction dept.

An anonymous reader writes On Thursday, a bipartisan law was introduced in the Senate that would limit US law enforcement's ability to obtain user data from US companies with servers physically located abroad. Law enforcement would still be able to gain access to those servers with a US warrant, but the warrant would be limited to data belonging to US citizens. This bill, called the LEADS Act (PDF), addresses concerns by the likes of Microsoft and other tech giants that worry about the impact law enforcement over-reach will have on their global businesses. Critics remain skeptical: "we are concerned about how the provision authorizing long-arm warrants for the accounts of US persons would be administered, and whether we could reasonably expect reciprocity from other nations on such an approach."

3 of 131 comments (clear)

  1. Oh baby by fustakrakich · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Don't you just love the smell of electioneering in the morning?

    Just another toothless regulation to be watered down in the run up to November.

    --
    “He’s not deformed, he’s just drunk!”
  2. what's the point? by silfen · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Instead of weird exceptions like this, which are likely to cause only further problems, the US should reduce the intrusiveness of law enforcement in general. Stop the war on drugs, simplify the tax code, consistently require court warrants for searches, etc., and we could reduce online searches by 90%

    1. Re:what's the point? by Charliemopps · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Instead of weird exceptions like this, which are likely to cause only further problems, the US should reduce the intrusiveness of law enforcement in general. Stop the war on drugs, simplify the tax code, consistently require court warrants for searches, etc., and we could reduce online searches by 90%

      The complexity serves a purpose. The tax code is the easiest example. Do you have any idea how much you pay in taxes? Any clue at all? Income tax, property tax, sales tax, Gas tax, vice tax, drivers license fees, etc... etc...

      After all that you likely have no idea what you pay in taxes. Which is exactly the point.

      The same goes for laws and regulation. It's often joked that everything's illegal in the United states, but that's not just a joke. If law enforcement wants to get you, they get you. You are always breaking the law in one way or another. Everyone thought it was clever when they nailed Al Capone for the tax evasion nonsense. But now that the same tactics are used on pretty much everyone, the true injustice of it all has become rather apparent.

      We have a problem with law enforcement in this country. It's turned into us against them. And "Them" now have Tanks and machine guns.