Texas Police May Soon Need Warrants to Read Emails

Good news, denizens of the Lone Star State: You might be about to get some of the best email privacy protection in the country.

Earlier this week, Texas legislature passed a bill, HB 2268, requiring state police to get a warrant based on probable cause before reading emails, regardless of how old they are. That goes a step beyond the federal Electronic Communications Privacy Act (ECPA), which requires a warrant only for unopened emails younger than 180 days.

SEE ALSO: Senators Want Police to Get Warrant Before Reading Your Emails

HB 2268 spells out specific rules defining when police will be authorized to collect suspects' data and places limits on the amount of data that can be acquired. As a state law, it would not apply to federal investigations of Texas residents. Read more...

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