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. But 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.
Want to work with us on Privacy issues? Join the i2Coalition and our Public Policy Working Group.
Recent Updates On Privacy

i2Coalition January 2021 Legislative Brief
Your brief update on Internet policy issues OUTLOOK Biden Presidency & New 117th Congress. The United States transitioned Presidential power from Donald Trump to Joseph Biden on Inauguration Day, January 20, in Washington, DC. Breaking with tradition, President Trump, who was impeached on January 13 by the U.S. House a second time (with 10 Republicans […]

i2Coalition 2020 Annual Report
The i2Coalition 2020 Annual Report highlights the successes we accomplished in collaboration with our member companies over the course of a strange and eventful year. Our role as the voice of the Internet’s infrastructure has never been so important, as the central policy issues we deal with have been pushed to the forefront of a […]

i2Coalition Announces New 2021 Board of Directors and Leadership Roles
Summary: In 2021, Jane Shih (Endurance International Group) will be Board Chair, and Graeme Bunton (Tucows) will be Board Chair-Elect. The i2Coalition also welcomes new Board Members Erica Fox (Cloudflare) and Tom Okman (Nord Security). Jane Shih and James Bladel (GoDaddy) have been elected to new board terms. Harold Li (ExpressVPN) has been named Chair […]

The i2Coalition’s VPN Trust Initiative Issues Statement on Takedown of VPN Services Aimed at Criminals
Summary: Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) provide Internet users with important privacy and security protections against cybercrime. In light of a recent takedown of three VPN services aimed at criminals, the i2Coalition and its VPN Trust Initiative stand united with authorities against cybercrime and those who seek to use legitimate technologies and services for malicious ends. […]

i2Coalition December 2020 Legislative Brief
OUTLOOK Presidential Transition. On December 14 the Electoral College formally confirmed that Joseph Biden will be the next President of the United States, giving him a solid electoral majority of 306 votes to ratify his victory in the November election. While its official start was initially delayed, the Biden transition is now fully operational and […]

Guest Post: How Tech Companies can Build a Culture of Diversity
In this guest post, i2Coalition Co-Founder and cPanel General Counsel David Snead and cPanel Documentation Manager Jennifer Doubrava explain how cPanel uses culture, community, and concern as three guideposts for their diversity strategy. Since it was founded in 1997, cPanel has embraced the importance of inclusion and diversity in our business. Inclusion and diversity is […]

Improving Virtual ICANN Meetings: A Recipe for the Inclusion of Voices from i2Coalition’s Executive Director
To keep us safe during the pandemic period, ICANN has made the difficult and unanticipated shift to an online environment. In the following letter, i2Coalition Executive Director outlines some suggestions to improve on virtual meetings, specifically two things: prioritizing policy work over plenaries and panels; and increasing participation levels to better represent the interests of […]

i2Coalition November 2020 Legislative Brief
Your quick update on important Internet policy issues OUTLOOK As of mid-November, a divided United States electorate is absorbing the aftermath of a close Presidential and Congressional election, Senate Republicans’ swift confirmation of a Supreme Court Justice to solidify a conservative majority on the bench, and a surge in the COVID-19 pandemic nationwide. Presidential Election. […]
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Improving Diversity in the Workplace
Find out about what we can do to help improve diversity in the workplace in this special guest post from Sarah Wyld (Tucows) and Jennifer Doubrava (cPanel). There is great value in diversity. When more experiences, ideas, and differences are welcome at our respective tables, and when we are each able to be true to […]

i2Coalition Submits Comments on USTR Review of Notorious Markets for Counterfeiting and Piracy
The Internet Infrastructure Coalition (“i2Coalition”) is made up mainly of small to medium sized businesses which are cloud providers, data centers, web hosting companies, registrars, registries and other foundational Internet enterprises, and our industry strongly believes that a robust intellectual property protection framework with elements supporting technological and commercial innovation is critical to the expansion […]

i2Coalition Awards David Snead the 2020 Ron Yokubaitis Internet Community Leadership Award
The Internet Infrastructure Coalition (i2Coalition) presents the Ron Yokubaitis Internet Community Leadership Award to an individual whose contributions to U.S. Internet policy have helped create a better internet through promoting privacy protections, an open Internet and continued innovation. The winner for 2020 is i2Coalition Co-Founder and cPanel General Counsel David Snead. Snead has provided advice […]

i2Coalition and eco’s Transatlantic Dialogue on Intermediary Liability: VIDEO
i2Coalition & eco – Association of the Internet Industry invited experts to discuss the future of intermediary liability on both sides of the Atlantic in a roundtable webinar that happened Oct 15, 2020. Hosts:● Thomas Rickert, eco● Christian Dawson, i2Coalition Guest speakers:● Melinda Clem, Board of Directors, i2Coalition and Vice President of Strategy, Afilias● Oliver […]