WASHINGTON (AP) — Lawmakers are talking about requiring a search warrant for the government to obtain copies of a person's old emails. The bill, introduced by Republican Representative Kevin Yoder of Kansas, is being discussed by the House Judiciary Committee on Tuesday. It seeks to close a loophole in a nearly 30-year-old law that allows the government to use subpoenas to third parties like Google or Yahoo to see emails more than 180 days old. Such emails were considered "abandoned" under the 1986 Electronic Communications Privacy Act, back when there was rarely enough storage space to hold emails older than six months. The Securities and Exchange Commission, which is considered a civilian law enforcement agency, has opposed the measure because it says it can't obtain a criminal warrant.
U.S. House Considers Requiring Search Warrant to Get Old Emails
