On February 6, 2018, the U.S. Senate and House introduced the bipartisan Clarifying Lawful Overseas Use of Data Act (the “CLOUD Act”; S.2383, H.R.4943). The CLOUD Act has the support of the U.S. Department of Justice.
The CLOUD Act represents an important step in addressing the digital privacy concerns of businesses and consumers while also enabling law enforcement to engage in actions that protect public safety.
If enacted, the CLOUD Act will:
- Provide clear rules for U.S. government access to data stored abroad.
- Provide legal clarity that strengthens personal and business privacy protections for the cloud computing era.
- Strengthen trust in cloud computing in the U.S. and overseas.
- Encourage government-to-government cooperation to protect privacy while enabling law enforcement to pursue investigations.
By providing needed legal clarity, the CLOUD Act will encourage innovation, commerce, and trust in technology. This bill will also help speed law enforcement activities and protect public safety.
Tech and Business Community Support
Introduction of the CLOUD Act was met by wide support from the business community and tech sector. More than a dozen leading national business and technology organizations, including the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the National Association of Manufacturers, issued a joint letter of support for the CLOUD Act, organized by BSA|The Software Alliance. The organizations write that, “U.S. laws governing privacy and law enforcement access to data must be updated to address the realities of our connected world…” and that the CLOUD Act, “is an important step toward modernizing the United States’ approach to these challenges.”
You can help support the CLOUD Act by emailing Congress now.
