Privacy & Data Security
Senator Leahy – who has often been referred to as the Cyber Senator – has long been concerned with protecting privacy and personal information in the digital age. Nearly three decades ago, Senator Leahy was the lead author of one of our nation’s premier privacy laws, the Electronic Communications Privacy Act (ECPA), a law to protect the privacy of Americans’ electronic communications. When Congress enacted ECPA in 1986, the majority of Americans could not have envisioned the sweeping technological advancements of today.
Senator Leahy believes that updating the law to reflect the realities of our time is essential to ensuring that our federal privacy laws keep pace with new technologies and the new threats to our security. He has authored legislation to update ECPA, and bring our federal electronic privacy laws into the digital age.
Senator Leahy has also worked to secure greater protections for Americans personal information, including digital medical records. He is the author of the Personal Data Privacy and Security Act, comprehensive privacy legislation designed to better protect American’s privacy by requiring that individuals be notified when their information has been compromised by a data breach. Senator Leahy worked to include meaningful health privacy protections in the 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.
Under his chairmanship, the Judiciary Committee has also established a Subcommittee on Privacy, Technology and the Law to ensure issues relating to privacy remain central as technologies advances.
Related Information
Judiciary Committee
Related News
- Comment Of Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), Chairman, Senate Judiciary Committee, On Reports Of DOJ’s Collection Of Associated Press Telephone Records , May 14, 2013
- SJC Chairman Leahy Hails Confirmation Of Privacy Board Chairman, May 7, 2013
- SJC Approves Leahy-Lee Electronic Communications Privacy Amendments Act , April 25, 2013
Related Media
More Related Media
Related Galleries
Related Legislation
S. 1151
A bill to prevent and mitigate identity theft, to ensure privacy, to provide notice of security breaches, and to enhance criminal penalties, law enforcement assistance, and other protections against security breaches, fraudulent access, and misuse of personally identifiable information.
