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Griffith Introduces the Cell Phone Freedom Act(Targeted News Service Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) WASHINGTON, June 25 -- Rep. Morgan Griffith, R-Va. (9th CD), issued the following news release: Congressman Morgan Griffith (R-VA) on Tuesday introduced the Cell Phone Freedom Act (H.R. 4952), which would prevent government officials from remotely disabling mobile devices. With these devices having become an attractive target for theft, industry group CTIA - The Wireless Association has signed a voluntary agreement to include a "kill switch" feature in smartphones manufactured after July 2015. This "kill switch" is intended to deter theft by giving owners a means to remotely disable the phone, ruining any resale value it may have. Griffith said, "Smartphone technology continues to evolve at a rapid pace, and it is vital that First Amendment protections keep up. Having a kill switch on your cell phone is a good idea. Allowing it to be used by the government unfettered without permission or a court order is not." Griffith continued, "There is precedent for government accessing technology or obtaining phone and internet records with the cooperation or coercion of the tech industry, including mass data collection by the National Security Agency and the issuance of National Security Letters to tech companies like Google and Yahoo. Government agents' ability to access the kill switch feature and remotely shut down smartphones could permit these officials to unlawfully infringe on the First Amendment freedoms of speech and assembly. The Cell Phone Freedom Act would prevent government agents from accessing the smartphone kill switch feature without either a court order or the express permission of the device's owner or primary user. Under this bill, a government official who - without permission or a court order - uses the kill switch to remotely shut down a smartphone would be guilty of a crime." A copy of the Cell Phone Freedom Act is attached. On a related note, a Supreme Court ruling today applies fundamental principles of our Constitution to modern technology. In ruling that police need a warrant or consent before searching the cell phone of a person who has been arrested, the Supreme Court stated, "Modern cell phones are not just another technological convenience. With all they contain and all they may reveal, they hold for many Americans 'the privacies of life.'" The Court went on to provide police with concise guidance on how to search a cell phone's contents in stating "get a warrant." HR 4952 - Griffith Cell Phone Freedom Act (http://morgangriffith.house.gov/UploadedFiles/HR_4952_-_Griffith_Cell_Phone_Freedom_Act.pdf) TNS 24KuanRap-140626 30FurigayJof-4778649 30FurigayJof (c) 2014 Targeted News Service [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] |