Legislation requiring a warrant for e-mail acquisition was first established in the state of Texas in the United States

ByWies van Erp

US government agenciesPRISM "system that steals personal information from servers of major Internet companies such as Google and Apple is runningThe problem is sporadic here and there, but in Texas state the governor signs a bill that a warrant is required under any conditions when a law enforcement agency browses a mail. This is the first case among states in the whole country.

Texas Legislature Online - 83 (R) History for HB 2268
http://www.capitol.state.tx.us/BillLookup/History.aspx?LegSess=83R&Bill=HB2268


Texas after first state to require warrant for e-mail snooping | Ars Technica
http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2013/06/texas-becomes-first-state-to-require-warrant-for-e-mail-snooping/

Governor Texas Rick Berry signed a bill last Friday, "A warrant is required when government law enforcement agencies such as police and special investigators get mail." The bill became effective immediately, Texas province became the first state in the United States, where state law enforcement agencies can not view mail freely.

In the United States, the law called ECPA (Electronic Communication Privacy Protection Act) was enacted in 1986, law enforcement agencies sent e-mailNo warrantHowever, it is supposed to be OK to view and obtain it. However, this law was enacted at the time the Internet was not yet established, and there were voices calling for change as it was not too timelyIt was also going up from Google and Microsoft.

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This time, the bill was submitted by Republican lawmaker Jonathan Stickland of Dallas / Fort Worth district. It was March's story that I came out as a proposal and it was not made in a hurry because the PRISM problem emerged.

This law covers only the Texas state, but the fact that laws were created to protect privacy is important first. The Senate Committee decided to take ECPA amendment law as an agenda of the Senate in April and this PRISM issue and Texas laws may help boost the modernization of outdated legislation .