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Texas Set to Have Toughest State E-mail Privacy Law
Which Sadly Isn't Saying Very Much...
Barring veto by Austin Governor Rick Perry, Texas is poised to pass one of the toughest e-mail privacy protection laws in the nation. HB2268 would update the 1986 Electronic Communications Privacy Act (ECPA), requiring that state law enforcement agencies to get a warrant for all e-mails regardless of the age of the e-mail. That protection however wouldn't extend to federal investigations. After passing both houses of the Texas legislature earlier this year without a single "nay" vote, the bill now sits on the desk of Governor Perry, who has until June 16 to veto it, or it passes automatically this fall.
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tpkatl
join:2009-11-16
Dacula, GA

tpkatl

Member

How meaningful can this actually be?

Perhaps any *state* law enforcement will have to get a warrant, but in reality, the serious investigation in this country tends to be at the federal level.

And this law has no jurisdiction on federal investigations. So the way I read it, the Texas Rangers will have to get a warrant to read my email, but the FBI, DEA, CIA, NSA, etc., won't.

What good will that do? Seems like this is a populist law that will accomplish basically nothing.

Packeteers
Premium Member
join:2005-06-18
Forest Hills, NY
Asus RT-AC3100
(Software) Asuswrt-Merlin

Packeteers

Premium Member

Re: How meaningful can this actually be?

the same sort of nonsense is going on in NYState regarding GMO product labeling. what good is a State making such a law when food production and distribution is country wide. it's just politicians wasting their time on unenforceable laws to gain popular support and more votes to perpetuate this stupidity.

mr sean
Professional Infidel

join:2001-04-03
N. Absentia

mr sean

Re: How meaningful can this actually be?

In the immortal words of Governor Rick Perry: "Oops..."

It sure looks good on the roll call and on paper, till one realizes it accomplishes very little until the federal government takes on similar measures.

TamaraB
Question The Current Paradigm
Premium Member
join:2000-11-08
Da Bronx
·Verizon FiOS
Ubiquiti NSM5
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Apple AirPort Extreme (2013)

TamaraB to Packeteers

Premium Member

to Packeteers
said by Packeteers:

the same sort of nonsense is going on in NYState regarding GMO product labeling. what good is a State making such a law ....

This is totally different. States can and do mandate labeling of products sold within the state.
Rakeesh
join:2011-10-30
Phoenix, AZ

Rakeesh to Packeteers

Member

to Packeteers
GMO labeling is a dumb idea to begin with though. It creates FUD akin to when SF wanted to force phone manufacturers to list radiation output.

It's a completely useless figure that serves no benefit for health and well being, and forces phone manufacturers to needlessly add to the cost of the device in order to reach the same sales figures that they would have without that labeling. In the end, all it does is put further burden on the economy with no benefit.

GMO labeling would have the same effect. In fact, fighting GMO based foods in general is a bad idea, as the originator of the anti-GMO movement found out for himself:

»www.slate.com/blogs/futu ··· ong.html
Liberty
Premium Member
join:2005-06-12
Arizona

Liberty

Premium Member

Re: How meaningful can this actually be?

said by Rakeesh:

GMO labeling is a dumb idea to begin with
It's a completely useless In the end, all it does is put further burden

I suggest your comment may be true for you but not for many others.

Europe has labeling rules in place for over 8 years and food processors are doing just fine

What is wrong with proper identification of ingredients?
If there is nothing wrong with GMO ingredients, why be concerned if I want to know what I am consuming?

NYR 56
Premium Member
join:2000-12-05
Smithtown, NY

NYR 56

Premium Member

Re: How meaningful can this actually be?

said by Liberty:

What is wrong with proper identification of ingredients?
If there is nothing wrong with GMO ingredients, why be concerned if I want to know what I am consuming?

The problem is that people spread FUD about GMO foods and their popularity will plummet if they are labeled. His analogy of the cell phone radiation law is perfect - if there is no significant difference in terms of the final product and our health, it is unnecessary to be on the package. GMOs solve many problems, and I, for one, certainly do not want them to be eliminated because some hipster refuses to eat anything but "organic" produce based on assumptions.
Liberty
Premium Member
join:2005-06-12
Arizona

Liberty

Premium Member

Re: How meaningful can this actually be?

"I, for one, certainly do not want them to be eliminated because some hipster refuses to eat anything but "organic" produce based on assumptions"
Non GMOs will be more expensive so all the Walmart types will keep your preference alive and well. So no worries there

Your option eliminates my option, my option has not affect on yours - can't we play nice and share?

Packeteers
Premium Member
join:2005-06-18
Forest Hills, NY
Asus RT-AC3100
(Software) Asuswrt-Merlin

Packeteers to Rakeesh

Premium Member

to Rakeesh
Rekeesh, it's likely he was paid to change his opinion - which is common when you deal with special interests, politicians, and lobbists. the GMO lobby outspends the reform/label lobby 8:1. GMO product labeling is not only about potential health concerns, it's also about sustainability. creating patented plant versions that don't provide viable seeds and using petroleum based chemicals to get your crops out and put the farming environment at risk is not a sustainable form of agriculture. people deserve the right to support whatever method of food production they believe is best, and labeling give them that right to choose with their wallets. the GMO lobby and lawyers should all be fired - let them pore that money into marketing these GMO products as better for the consumer, if they are so afraid of labeling it as such.

Cabal
Premium Member
join:2007-01-21

1 recommendation

Cabal to tpkatl

Premium Member

to tpkatl
It's a nudge to our dysfunctional federal government. There's a reason Texas is the fastest growing state in the nation.

tiger72
SexaT duorP
Premium Member
join:2001-03-28
Saint Louis, MO

tiger72

Premium Member

Re: How meaningful can this actually be?

This isn't exactly one of the reasons. Anyone with half a brain knows that local law enforcement doesn't read people's emails because frankly they just don't have the time and resources to waste on that.

There are many things going for Texas (as a native Texan, i'm a bit biased though), but this bill is just easy legislation for politicians to reference for future political campaigns.
Kearnstd
Space Elf
Premium Member
join:2002-01-22
Mullica Hill, NJ

Kearnstd to Cabal

Premium Member

to Cabal
The cost of living is the main reason. If someone can afford a 2bdrm apartment in Jersey they could buy a large house in Texas

jstyles85
@verizon.net

jstyles85 to tpkatl

Anon

to tpkatl
Lets say that a vaccine was made available tomorrow which prevented colon and pancreatic cancer. Would you pooh pooh it because it wouldn't defend against all other cancer types? Or, would you understand it as a step in the right direction, and gladly avail yourself of the benefits the vaccine offers? Perfection is incremental.

Twaddle
@sbcglobal.net

Twaddle

Anon

Read my lips- You have NO PRIVACY

Another feel good piece of legislation activity that is worthless. Who is going to stop "authorities" from accessing desired information. Certainly not the SCOTUS, Congress or the President-we've seen how effective they are. Come on get real they(Federal, state and local) just seize the desired data THEN get a warrant (for crowd control purposes only) and/or detain the owner with trumped up allegations while they obtain said data if they even acknowledge they obtained it.
Moral of the story- do not send ANYTHING via email that you wouldn't want to see brought up in court.

kevinds
Premium Member
join:2003-05-01
Calgary, AB

kevinds

Premium Member

Re: Read my lips- You have NO PRIVACY

Does this apply only if the email server is in Texas, or is it for the resident of Texas, regardless of where said emails are actually located
Reyr
join:2009-01-03
Wilmington, DE

Reyr

Member

Governor of Texas

Governor of Austin? Since when is Austin a state?
ndwbr
join:2003-07-10
Atlanta, GA

ndwbr

Member

Re: Governor of Texas

True email privacy: when you encrypt your email at rest, exchange public keys with someone, and then encrypt what you send to them. Only their private key can decrypt the email and only your private key can decrypt theirs. There are vendors starting to deliver this capability e.g. Penango (»www.penango.com/)

StuartMW
Premium Member
join:2000-08-06

1 edit

StuartMW to Reyr

Premium Member

to Reyr
said by Reyr:

Since when is Austin a state?

Well anyone that has lived there knows that Austin isn't part of Texas except in a technical geographic sense




Leslie

cb14
join:2013-02-04
Miami Beach, FL

cb14

Member

Re: Governor of Texas

True. Austin is different. Same here, South Florida is not Florida.
88615298 (banned)
join:2004-07-28
West Tenness

88615298 (banned) to Reyr

Member

to Reyr
Well Texas is a whole other county isn't it?

Squire James
@embarqhsd.net

Squire James

Anon

Yes, Yes, yes...

A political point that doesn't accomplish much? Yes.

The best they can do since the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in the Arizona case that no state law can trump federal law? Yes.

The federal government usurping way too much power of late, basically ignoring the spirit of the Tenth Amendment? YES!
waycoolphil
join:2000-09-22
Cathedral City, CA

waycoolphil

Member

The Feds too

Senator Leahy seems to want to do the same thing on a Federal level.
»secure3.convio.net/leahy ··· .app339a

Cutie
@edis.at

Cutie

Anon

Online Privacy

The only way to really protect our online privacy is to use a service where the servers aren't governed by US laws. I've been using one for emails and web surfing that's based in Switzerland. Check it out at forhisglory@pvivacyabroad.com.