ACT | The App Association executive director Morgan Reed released the following statement in response to today’s ECPA testimony by the Department of Justice before the Senate Judiciary Committee:  

The Department of Justice claims it possesses the authority to access data stored abroad — and belonging to a foreign citizen — as long as it is held by an American company. Furthermore, DOJ has claimed in court that it is reasonable to sacrifice our citizens’ private information to any country in the world so that the U.S. can avoid complying with other nation’s privacy protections. This is simply outrageous and something the American public would view as a betrayal. 

For American tech companies to remain global leaders, we must be clear with our trading partners that their citizens can store data in their home country with a U.S. company and retain the privacy protections provided by their sovereign government. The bipartisan, bicameral LEADS Act would clarify the law around DOJ’s extraterritoriality claim and address the international question left unresolved by ECPA. This is important for U.S. companies competing in overseas markets — and even more so for every American who doesn’t want rogue nations to have access to their personal information. 
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