This bill updates the Privacy Protection Act of 1980 to strengthen protections for journalists' records and newsgathering materials. It requires law enforcement to obtain warrants before searching or seizing reporter notes, sources, and other journalistic materials, with limited exceptions for emergencies or when journalists themselves are targets of investigation. The bill also establishes an exclusionary rule that prevents illegally obtained newsgathering materials from being used as evidence in court proceedings, and allows journalists to suppress evidence obtained through improper searches. Additionally, the legislation clarifies that materials stored on cloud services are protected the same way as physical records, and it requires law enforcement to disclose all relevant information when applying for warrants, including information that might question whether an exception to the warrant requirement actually applies. The bill has no specified funding or implementation timeline but applies to federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies.
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