SALT LAKE CITY (AP) - Police would have to get a warrant to access electronic data people share on apps like Dropbox and Snapchat under a proposal being considered by Utah lawmakers.
The Salt Lake Tribune reports that a panel of lawmakers decided to hold the measure on Thursday after state and local prosecutors groups came out against it.
Republican Rep. Craig Hall says he’s running the bill to protect people from unreasonable online searches. Digital privacy advocates say the law hasn’t kept up with the frequent sharing of information online, and getting a warrant isn’t an onerous requirement.
State and local prosecutors, though, say the plan would interfere with criminal investigations and possibly consumer-protections probes. David Carlson with the Utah Attorney General’s Office says the proposal could “cripple” online child-porn investigations.
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