BSA | The Software Alliance today welcomed the re-introduction of the Law Enforcement Access to Data Stored Abroad Act (the “LEADS Act”). The legislation, co-sponsored by Sens. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah), Chris Coons (D-Del.) and Dean Heller (R-Nev.), strengthens privacy protections by updating US law to reflect how technology has expanded its global reach since the law was first passed in 1986.

“Data is transforming the way governments, businesses and individuals accomplish the things that matter most to them. But as data becomes a natural part of our everyday lives, our laws must adjust to strike the right balance between privacy concerns and legitimate law enforcement interests,” said BSA President & CEO Victoria Espinel. “The LEADS Act reaffirms electronic privacy rights and helps rebuild consumer trust while ensuring that law enforcement has the tools they need to properly pursue investigations. We applaud Chairman Hatch and Senators Coons and Heller for their continued leadership in this new Congress.”

The LEADS Act would make three important improvements to US privacy law: First, it would require law enforcement agencies to obtain a warrant to access electronic communications and other content stored online. Second, it would create a framework to enable law enforcement access to Americans’ data held overseas. Finally, the bill would improve the system by which international law enforcement requests for data are processed.