Friends of the United States: Senators have only a few weeks left to pass the Press Act. The bill is a federal “shield” bill that the House of Representatives passed with a bipartisan unanimous vote in January, but has been awaiting a final vote in the Senate ever since.
If passed, the Press Act would provide nationwide protection for journalists across the country from having to forcefully identify or surrender confidential sources (except in emergencies such as preventing acts of terrorism). That will happen. The bill also allows for other protections, such as limiting the records the government can secretly exfiltrate from email or phone providers that could identify journalists or their sources, which are also urgent. Contains narrow exceptions to the threat of
Lawmakers last year passed legislation that would give journalists federal protections under the Press Act, citing recent U.S. government abuses, including the secret seizure of phone records from journalists who worked for CNN, the New York Times, and the Washington Post. has been promoted. A request from the Department of Justice under the Trump administration. As The Verge noted last week, protecting journalists and their sources will become increasingly important in President Trump's second term.
Forcing journalists to reveal the identity of their sources can have a major impact on reporting. People would be discouraged from talking to journalists, which would undermine the public's ability to learn about things that affect them. And we increasingly consume news from independent journalists and small news outlets that may not have the legal resources to fight government subpoenas for records. The Press Act provides similar comprehensive protections to journalists across the country, including independent journalists and news organizations that publish information in the public interest.
Although this bill does not directly impact the technology industry, as a news organization we support protecting and building on press freedom. Some of TechCrunch's most read and influential reports come from readers like you, who tell us about corporate wrongdoing, expose mismanagement in the startup world, detail human rights abuses, and expose serious They provided information that revealed major breaches, data leaks, cyberattacks, and criminal activity. Otherwise it might not have been reported. TechCrunch has a history of standing up to legal demands to protect our sources. This is possible only with the protection of press freedom.
To date, the PRESS Act already has bipartisan support in the Senate, with co-sponsors including Sens. Ron Wyden, Lindsey Graham, Mike Lee, and Dick Durbin. The bill still awaits a final vote on the Senate floor, with weeks left before it expires in the adjournment of Congress.
The ACLU has a web form if you want to send a memo to your senator. You can also call or email your senator directly to ask them to vote in favor of the Press Act.