Press Releases

Rep. Gosar Introduces Bill to Halt Warrantless Collection of Passwords
‘Ignoring the Fourth Amendment Is Contrary to Core American Values’       

 Today, U.S. Congressman Paul A. Gosar, D.D.S. (AZ-04) introduced the Reasonable Expectation of American Privacy (REAP) Act of 2013 (H.R.3557), legislation that would provide increased protections for consumer and subscriber password information. This bill would prevent the federal government from forcing or coercing companies to provide personal online passwords, unless a specific warrant is obtained for a specific individual or group, each of which must be the subject of a relevant investigation. It also repeals the provision of the law that allows the federal government to obtain stored email communications that are left in a person's account for more than 180 days.  

Rep. Gosar said, “Spying on hundreds of millions of Americans, from innocent grandmothers to high school students, using highly controversial and perverse legal interpretations is contrary to core American values. It’s time for Congress to listen to the public outcry over our federal surveillance programs. These programs are intended to keep us safe from harm, not attach themselves to every facet of our private lives.”

“My bill removes any legal uncertainty about the circumstances in which Americans’ Internet user passwords may be divulged to the federal government,” Rep. Gosar continued. “In the constantly evolving world of technology, this bill is one step in the right direction towards securing personal data and ensuring the government's access is limited.”

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