Keeping Your Communications Secure and Private

Last week I introduced bipartisan legislation to ensure the information on your smart phone is protected.

The Ensuring National Constitutional Rights for Your Private Telecommunications (H.R. 4528), or the ENCRYPT Act of 2016, preempts state and local government encryption laws, ensuring a uniform policy that protects your private information.

California and New York have proposed mandates that require a “backdoor” or golden key into your smart phone if it is manufactured or sold in that state. Not only does this give criminals or hackers potential access to your phone, it doesn’t solve the problem legislators say they’re concerned with. Furthermore, a state-by-state approach is unworkable. If California bans encryption on iPhones, what’s to stop Californians from simply going into another state to buy their smartphone?

Different rules in different states create a myriad of issues, making it more difficult for law enforcement officials to fulfill their responsibilities of protecting the public safety. A unified approach protects your security and privacy while also enabling law enforcement to keep us safe.