Warrantless access to cloud-based data debated.

• Position: U.S. LEG/REG

Efforts to balance the needs of law enforcement and Americans' privacy are at the center of a U.S. Senate debate over proposed amendments to the 1986 Electronic Communication Privacy Act.

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It all started in November when the Senate Judicial Committee considered a proposal that would allow law enforcement to access data in the cloud--including e-mail and Facebook posts--without first obtaining a search warrant. It immediately hit a wall formed by a coalition of technology firms, including Apple, Facebook, Google, and Twitter, which contended that electronic data should be treated the same way as hard-copy data.

Just prior to the close of the 112th session in December...