YourVoice.Now Summary
Civil LibertiesPolice would need a judge's warrant to get your phone and internet records — not just a subpoena.
Civil Liberties
Agencies would need a warrant from a judge to make phone and internet companies hand over records about you, including data about your messages. Today a court order with a lower bar can be enough.
Today agencies can demand your name, address, call logs, and payment details with just a subpoena, which needs no judge. The bill removes that option, so a warrant would be required.
Today a warrant is needed only for emails and messages stored 180 days or less. Older ones can be demanded with a subpoena or court order. The bill would require a warrant for all of them.
More about this bill
Police and other government agencies would need a warrant to get your phone and internet records. A warrant is a judge's approval based on evidence. This covers who you called or emailed, when, and other data about your calls and texts. It also covers your name, address, and how you pay for service. Today agencies can get much of this with a subpoena. That is a written demand that needs no judge. A court order with a lower bar also works today. Agencies would also need a warrant to read any email or message stored with your provider. Today the warrant rule applies only to messages stored for 180 days or less. Records already handed over before the law passes would not be affected. But any new or expanded request after that would need a warrant.
Congressional Summary
Warrant for Metadata Act This bill addresses the disclosure of customer electronic communications or records, including by requiring a governmental entity to obtain a warrant before requesting that a provider of electronic communication service or remote computing service disclose a customer's metadata.
Details
- Congress
- 119th
- Chamber
- House
- Status
- summarized
- Action
- Introduced in House
- Action Date
- 2025-04-09
- Date Added
- 2026-10-02
- Source
- Congress.gov →
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