Congress is currently considering the E-mail Privacy Act (HR 1852), a bi-partisan bill that would update the Electronic Communications Privacy Act (ECPA). ECPA was passed in 1986 when e-mail was not widely used (‘e-mail’ as a term wasn’t even commonly used until around 1993!) and cloud storage was a futuristic fantasy. ECPA says that government entities like the NSA, IRS, DEA, and even local government agencies can get e-mail records and documents stored in the cloud without first obtaining a warrant.
The E-mail Privacy Act (HR 1852) would ensure that all government agencies obtain a warrant before accessing personal and private online communications.