Public Law 99-508

E65814

United States federal statute privacy law surveillance law

Public Law 99-508 is the 1986 U.S. federal statute, known as the Electronic Communications Privacy Act, that expanded and updated government restrictions on wiretaps and electronic surveillance to cover modern digital and wireless communications.

Statements (50)

Predicate	Object
instanceOf	United States federal statute → privacy law → surveillance law →
alsoKnownAs	Electronic Communications Privacy Act of 1986 →
amends	Title 18 of the United States Code → federal wiretap law →
component	Title I – Wiretap Act amendments → Title II – Stored Communications Act → Title III – Pen Register and Trap and Trace Device provisions →
country	United States →
covers	cellular telephone communications → computer communications → digital communications → electronic mail → wireless communications →
creates	Stored Communications Act → federal rules for pen registers and trap and trace devices →
enactedBy	99th United States Congress →
establishes	civil remedies for unlawful interception of electronic communications → criminal penalties for unauthorized interception of electronic communications → procedures for law enforcement access to stored electronic communications → warrant requirements for certain electronic surveillance →
hasAbbreviation	ECPA →
hasShortName	Electronic Communications Privacy Act →
jurisdiction	federal law of the United States →
legalCitation	100 Stat. 1848 →
limits	government use of pen registers → government use of trap and trace devices →
partOf	United States electronic surveillance law framework →
presidentAtEnactment	Ronald Reagan →
protects	contents of electronic communications → stored electronic data →
publicLawNumber	99-508 →
purpose	to extend restrictions on wiretaps to electronic communications → to protect privacy in electronic and digital communications → to update surveillance law for new communications technologies →
regulates	access to communications metadata → government access to electronic communications → government access to stored communications → interception of electronic communications → wiretapping of electronic communications →
relatedTo	Pen Register Act → Stored Communications Act → Wiretap Act →
signedBy	Ronald Reagan →
subjectMatter	electronic surveillance → privacy of electronic communications → stored communications → wiretapping →
yearEnacted	1986 →

Referenced by (1)

Subject (surface form when different)	Predicate
Electronic Communications Privacy Act →	publicLawNumber