The Warrant for Metadata Act would strengthen privacy protections by requiring federal, state, and military law enforcement agencies to obtain a warrant before accessing metadata and other non-content information about electronic communications from service providers like email companies and cloud storage services. Currently, the law allows government entities to demand this information using an administrative subpoena, which requires a lower legal threshold than a warrant. This bill raises that standard by requiring a warrant—approved by a judge using standard criminal procedure rules—for all requests to obtain metadata such as phone numbers, email addresses, and communication timestamps. The bill applies prospectively, meaning it takes effect upon enactment but does not invalidate previous warrantless disclosures already made before the law passes; however, any follow-up requests or expansions of those earlier disclosures would need to comply with the new warrant requirement. The legislation was introduced on April 9, 2025, and has no specified funding or implementation timeline beyond the date of enactment.
Take Action
Your position
Add a comment
to comment on this bill.
Annotate the text
Highlight any passage on the Summary or Full Text tab to attach a note. Annotations appear on the Annotations tab.