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The House of Representatives passed a bill that the White House does not like very much.
The House of Representatives of the US Congress has passed an important bill aimed at protecting the privacy of Americans. The document, titled The Fourth Amendment Is Not For Sale ("The Fourth Amendment Is not For Sale" — H. R. 4639), was passed by a majority vote of 219 to 199, despite the opposition of the White House.
The authors of the initiative propose to prohibit the government from acquiring data about citizens from commercial data brokers. Currently, the purchase of such information is an alternative way for government agencies to collect information without a court order.
The issue of government access to personal data has sparked widespread public debate in recent years, splitting both parties, including the Biden administration. Just before the vote, the White House issued a statement strongly criticizing the bill.
The main argument of the authorities against the ban is that the ability to obtain commercially available information in this way is extremely important for intelligence services and law enforcement agencies in ensuring national security.
The administration separately emphasizes that a ban on the state to use the services of brokers (but not other entities) is unlikely to help protect the privacy of individuals.
However, critics point out that some federal agencies, such as the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and the NSA, systematically violated the constitutional rights of citizens by purchasing their personal data under the dubious pretext that the information was provided voluntarily.
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) was one of the most active supporters of the passage of this law. According to representatives of the organization, personal information is systematically collected through regular mobile applications that people use every day, and this often happens without their knowledge and consent.
"Today's bipartisan vote is a warning to the government. If you want to get our data, follow the law and request a warrant, " ACLU senior counsel Kia Hamadanchi said after the meeting.
In parallel, other legislative initiatives related to surveillance and privacy issues are also being passed through Congress. For example, a month ago, the House of Representatives already approved a separate bill prohibiting the sale of personal data of American citizens to foreign countries-opponents.
This week, the Senate is expected to support the House position on expanding the powers of US intelligence agencies under Section 702 of the Secret Surveillance for Foreign Intelligence Purposes Act (FISA).
This section allows intelligence agencies to tap the telecommunications channels of foreigners outside the United States without a warrant in order to ensure national security. Even if it involves American citizens, the data is recorded in a shared database that the FBI, CIA, NSA, and others have access to.
Bill H. R. 4639 will now be considered in the Senate. If the upper house of Congress approves it, the president can veto or sign the document, making it part of federal law.
The House of Representatives of the US Congress has passed an important bill aimed at protecting the privacy of Americans. The document, titled The Fourth Amendment Is Not For Sale ("The Fourth Amendment Is not For Sale" — H. R. 4639), was passed by a majority vote of 219 to 199, despite the opposition of the White House.
The authors of the initiative propose to prohibit the government from acquiring data about citizens from commercial data brokers. Currently, the purchase of such information is an alternative way for government agencies to collect information without a court order.
The issue of government access to personal data has sparked widespread public debate in recent years, splitting both parties, including the Biden administration. Just before the vote, the White House issued a statement strongly criticizing the bill.
The main argument of the authorities against the ban is that the ability to obtain commercially available information in this way is extremely important for intelligence services and law enforcement agencies in ensuring national security.
The administration separately emphasizes that a ban on the state to use the services of brokers (but not other entities) is unlikely to help protect the privacy of individuals.
However, critics point out that some federal agencies, such as the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and the NSA, systematically violated the constitutional rights of citizens by purchasing their personal data under the dubious pretext that the information was provided voluntarily.
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) was one of the most active supporters of the passage of this law. According to representatives of the organization, personal information is systematically collected through regular mobile applications that people use every day, and this often happens without their knowledge and consent.
"Today's bipartisan vote is a warning to the government. If you want to get our data, follow the law and request a warrant, " ACLU senior counsel Kia Hamadanchi said after the meeting.
In parallel, other legislative initiatives related to surveillance and privacy issues are also being passed through Congress. For example, a month ago, the House of Representatives already approved a separate bill prohibiting the sale of personal data of American citizens to foreign countries-opponents.
This week, the Senate is expected to support the House position on expanding the powers of US intelligence agencies under Section 702 of the Secret Surveillance for Foreign Intelligence Purposes Act (FISA).
This section allows intelligence agencies to tap the telecommunications channels of foreigners outside the United States without a warrant in order to ensure national security. Even if it involves American citizens, the data is recorded in a shared database that the FBI, CIA, NSA, and others have access to.
Bill H. R. 4639 will now be considered in the Senate. If the upper house of Congress approves it, the president can veto or sign the document, making it part of federal law.
