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Senate vote on bill requiring warrants for e-mail searches

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    Justice Department officials resisting legislation

  • Duration 4:15
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-- that it could soon be harder for the government to spy on your email thank goodness.

A senate committee has approved a bill that would force the feds to actually get a search warrant.

Before routed through your electronic communications like emails and text messages through the bank.

It now heads to the senate for a vote as it stands right now federal investigators can read through your email.

To the bank.

As much as they want as long as the messages are more than six months old.

The current law back in is from back in 1986 and it required agents have a search warrant for emails that work -- than six months.

And at the time -- most emails work hello it was 1986.

-- the rats were still spin and on the wheel back in creating electricity that are your computer.

The Justice Department is resisting any changes obviously if they want to be able to go into all of our stuff whenever they want.

Those officials say investigation will take longer if we have to go through that pesky problem -- judge.

Signing off on everything.

We have a judge let's bring him in Fox News senior judicial and was even -- time and chemicals like him and has been doing so because there.

You're around your educating and here I'm missing I'm and I can remember saying search warrants at 3 o'clock in the morning have a colleague of very -- -- -- -- -- -- name.

Who once sent a search warrant on the back of a motorcycle at 4 o'clock in the afternoon -- downtown Washington -- this is nonsense that you can't get a search warrant when you needed a search warrant assures that there won't be fishing expeditions and the police have real evidence.

Of a real crime.

Before they can invade your privacy and we I read it an introduction and a promise of story to come -- teams.

Our credit he's a little while ago saying all they can get it they can't really get into all of our old you know here's -- bank stuff in in 1986 the Reagan Justice Department persuade the congress and President Reagan.

To sign the electronic privacy act of 86 for very long and complicated -- but for our purposes it says it.

If you communicate electronically through your bank meaning not just an email or text message which probably didn't exist and text -- but a wire transfer.

The -- and the bank retains it for more than a 180 days the feds can get and if they want without a search warrant.

Less than a 180 days they need to search warrant.

This just pertained to financial institutions but federal agents began.

To persuade other institutions that they too.

Had to surrender emails that -- longer than a 180 days before you know it.

Much of federal law enforcement was operating under this statute we get emails that are longer -- that are older than a 180 days.

Whether they pertained to financial transactions or not.

That's what brought this to a head perhaps the David Petraeus Petraeus affair did as well but to -- A combination of Liberal Democrats and libertarian -- Republicans.

Along with moderate and can conservative Republicans and and Democrats.

Voted was only one descent and the Senate Judiciary Committee.

2 PM federal agents from getting any emails from anyone under any circumstances whether pertaining to a bank or not.

Without a search warrant issued by a judge this is the way the law was written.

In 1789.

When the constitution was ratified.

And -- the way the law worked until this statue came by in 1986.

They'll do what -- label law should work again.

If the senate passes this house passes this and the president -- when you're on the phone with your assisted or for -- Thing like in the middle of the after dinner we just go hello federal -- blitzing in my phone calls salary just to be polite because you know -- I have.

You had people say that to me when they're on the phone you hide -- -- click click in fact that had you -- that commitment on the phone.

But.

-- really all worked up about it because they can buy whatever they want I don't care but it.

Cleared it from there and I -- -- to bury you have talked about this many many times the attitude towards privacy is one of letting go.

But that's very very dangerous that the day the Fed's.

That they any government can invade our privacy is the day we lose our our dignity our right to be ourselves and then we'll change our behavior when we know the government is watching us.

We have the right to be left alone.

This bill today which the Senate Judiciary Committee have passed on will preserve that right judge thank you pleasure.

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