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 Joins Multi-Association Letter to Protect Copyright Safe Harbors in Free Trade Agreement between U.S. and U.K.
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i2Coalition July 2020 Legislative Brief
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i2Coalition and The Domain Name Association Merge to Create North America’s Largest Internet Infrastructure Advocacy Group
PRESS RELEASE — July 16, 2020 Combined Association to Operate as the i2Coalition and Establish a DNA Working Group, Amplifying […]
i2Coalition to Participate in Internet Governance Forum USA (IGF-USA), July 22rd & 23rd, 2020
The Internet Governance Forum USA (IGF-USA) is a conference that engages with the issues most relevant to the future of […]
Webinar: The Resilience of the Internet’s Infrastructure During COVID-19
This webinar was broadcast on July 9, 2020 at 1:00 PM EDT / 18:00 Central European Time (CET). Stay at […]
i2Coalition June 2020 Legislative Brief
Photo by Chris Grafton on Unsplash Your quick public update on important Internet policy issues. In an intense few weeks that have seen […]
Statement on Hearing: “Is the DMCA’s Notice-and-Takedown System Working in the 21st Century?”
On June 2, 2020, the Senate Judiciary Committee, Subcommittee on the Intellectual Property held the hearing: “Is the DMCA’s Notice-and-Takedown […]
i2Coalition Member Spotlight Q&A: Hotspot Shield
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i2Coalition Statement in Response to President’s Executive Order to Regulate Social Media
The following can be attributed to Christian Dawson, Executive Director of the Internet Infrastructure Coalition: “While the President’s Executive Order […]
Join Us for DCD>Building the Edge Virtual Conference: May 27-28
On May 27-28, 2020, join us for the DCD>Building the Edge, the global virtual conference featuring 16 interactive webinars spanning […]
i2Coalition May 2020 Legislative Brief
(photo by Vlad Tchompalov on Unsplash) Your quick public update on important Internet policy issues. Since mid-March, Washington has undergone intense legislative efforts including […]