Surveillance ‘Backdoor’ Prevention Law Dumped from Cromnibus Bill

Today, House members Thomas
Massie (R-Ky.), Jim Sensenbrenner (R-Wis.), and Zoe Lofgren
(D-Calif.) introduced their Secure Data Act. It would prohibit the
federal government from requiring or compelling technological
“backdoors” in goods and services (like Internet service providers)
that would facilitate secret surveillance.

Actually, they already introduced this legislation and it
already passed the House once by a vote of 293-123. But House
leadership dropped it from the big
Cromnibus spending bill that is expected to get crommed through
Cromgress. So they have to start over. They issued a joint
statement:

“Thus far, Congress has failed to rein in the Administration’s
surveillance authorities and protect Americans’ civil liberties.
Nevertheless, the Massie-Sensenbrenner-Lofgren amendment
established an important record in the full House of
Representatives—an overwhelming majority will no longer tolerate
the status quo. Unwarranted and backdoor surveillance is untenable,
and as Congress turns to address a multitude of expiring
surveillance programs in the 114th Congress, the House will not
allow unwarranted surveillance without meaningful reform. The
Secure Data Act defends Americans’ constitutional rights and is an
important next step in closing backdoor surveillance and rebuilding
public trust in our intelligence agencies.” 

Unwarranted surveillance may have dropped off the outrage radar
for many Americans amid our non-stop parade of new examples of
awful government behavior, but it’s good to see there are still
some legislators pushing for reform.