Senators Jon Tester and Steve Daines have introduced the Stopping Mass Hacking (SMH) Act to protect millions of law-abiding Americans from government hacking, a bipartisan effort that prevents recently approved changes to Rule 41 of the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure from going into effect. The changes would allow the government to get a single warrant to hack an unlimited number of Americans’ computers if their computers had been affected by criminals, possibly without notifying the victims.

“Our law enforcement policies need to be updated to reflect 21st century realities with a process that is transparent, effective and protects our civil liberties,” Daines stated. “We cannot give the federal government a blank check to infringe upon our liberties.”

“This bill reins in the government’s ability to search and seize our personal electronic information.  Our right to privacy doesn’t end when we turn on a computer, send an email, or search the Internet,” Tester said. “We must ensure that law enforcement agencies have the tools they need to keep us safe while also protecting our civil liberties, and this bill is a first step in that direction.”

A House companion bill is expected to be introduced soon.

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