The We the People petition to reform ECPA and end warrantless email searches just received its 100,000th signature! In addition to being a stunning demonstration of Americans’ concern for their privacy rights, this victory means that the White House is now required to write a response.
As TF President Berin Szoka pointed out yesterday in RedState:
If the petition makes it to 100,000 signatures, the White House has to reply. So far, President Obama has been silent on the issue, but we think that, if he’s forced to take a stance, he’ll throw his weight behind reform. Getting ECPA reform passed would be a huge win for privacy, and would also show that the privacy movement can actually win in Congress. Fixing ECPA isn’t a substitute for stopping blanket NSA surveillance, but it can actually happen this Congress — and it it would be the first major victory in a long fight to end unconstitutional mass surveillance.
This is a huge day for the privacy movement, and what we hope is the first major win in the larger battle against unconstitutional mass surveillance. And in addition to the 100,000+ Americans who demanded ECPA reform, we’d like to thank the Center for Democracy and Technology and the dozens of other organizations that worked to support the petition.
So pat yourselves on the back, and if you haven’t yet, check out our infographic on why ECPA needs reform in the first place.