Police officers in California are now required to get a court-ordered search warrant prior to going through a person's cell phone. Once they have obtained the search warrant, the police can then access text messages, email accounts, photos and any other saved data, and also contact cell phone provider servers for information, according to NBC News.
The bill had a substantial number of companies backing it in support. Adobe, Apple, Facebook, LinkedIn, Dropbox, Google and Twitter were among the major businesses that helped this bill pass. Even law enforcement agents changed their views and began to support the bill as it would make a solid balance between public safety and privacy for residents.
The California Electronic Communications Privacy Act (CalECPA) Senate Bill 178 was signed by California Gov. Jerry Brown Thursday. It can now be found on the California Legislative Information website.
Maine and Utah also offer this same privacy act, according to the Electronic Frontier Foundation.
Sen. Mark Leno, an author of the bill, said: "For too long, California's digital privacy laws have been stuck in the Dark Ages, leaving our personal emails, text messages, photos and smartphones increasingly vulnerable to warrantless searches. That ends today with the governor's signature of CalECPA, a carefully crafted law that protects personal information of all Californians. The bill also ensures that law enforcement officials have the tools they need to continue to fight crime in the digital age."
