ECPA and SCA are acronyms for the electronic communications privacy act and stored communication act respectively. The laws were passed by the United States Congress in 1986 to monitor the transmission, storage and access of electronic data. The essay will describe the ECPA and SCA act. Therefore, the laws were enacted primarily to safeguard electronic data.
According to the ECPA act, electronic communications are any information transferred in the form of writing, sounds, signals, radio, wire, and electromagnetic. The exceptions to the law are oral communication, communication through a tracking device, and electronic funds transfer. The provisions for ECPA include internet communications that govern the privacy and the rights of internet users in the United States. Equally, the law provides a framework for law enforcement in case of breach of privacy in electronic communication. Hence, the law established a framework and standards that control telephone and internet usage thus reducing violation and abuse of citizens. Previously, there had been an illegal intrusion of personal data to advance criminal activities like terrorism hence the need for a law that will enhance surveillance and its applicability (Mulligan, 2003).
Equally, the stored communication act is a law that was passed by the US Congress to ensure stored data is secure. The law prohibits third parties from accessing electronically stored data without the consent of the user. However, there are exceptional circumstances that may compel third-party access, and they include remote computing services, electronic communication services, and a court order to disclose (Kerr, 2003).
Accordingly, the electronic communication privacy act and the stored communication act primary aim is to ensure the privacy of stored data. The essay has vividly described the said acts as passed by US Congress. Thus, the law supplements the constitutional scrutiny of the confidentiality of information.
References
Mulligan, D. K. (2003). Reasonable expectations in electronic communications: A critical perspective on the Electronic Communications Privacy Act. Geo. Wash. L. Rev., 72, 1557.
Kerr, O. S. (2003). A User's Guide to the Stored Communications Act, and a Legislator's Guide to Amending it. Geo. Wash. L. Rev., 72, 1208.
