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Proposed Law Would Limit US Search Warrants For Data Stored Abroad
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."
What's the upside? Doesn't this just make it easier for multinational corporations and criminal organizations to evade enforcement of US laws?
Law enforcement is enforcing US laws in foreign countries. That's the problem.
Lets put the show on the other foot for an example: While visiting Russia, the Russian officials accuse you of viewing homosexual porn, which is illegal there. They then issue a search warrant and force microsoft and google to turn over the contents of your cloud drive/phone backups, etc... Does that sound reasonable to you?