Digital rights orgs push back on change to gov hacking powers

Digital rights organizations are launching another push to combat changes to a little-known criminal procedure rule, set to go into effect in December if Congress fails to act.

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The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), the Tor Project and others are urging website operators to run a banner on their sites that would allow people to email members of Congress or sign a petition opposing the changes.

The campaign is scheduled to launch on Tuesday.

The proposed alteration would allow judges to grant warrants for electronic searches in multiple locations or even when investigators don’t know the physical location of a device.

The Justice Department, which has been working for years on getting the change, insists the revision to what’s known as Rule 41 is a necessary update to match the realities of modern digital investigations.

But critics say the change give the government the authority to hack computers with little oversight.

“Government agents hacking into computers more frequently is a recipe for disaster,” EFF wrote in a release. “Law enforcement will increase their exploitation of security vulnerabilities in common software products, meaning vulnerabilities that could affect millions will be left open instead of patched.”

Some lawmakers have been working to rally opposition to the change. Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) in May introduced a bill that would block the expansion of the Justice Department’s hacking powers.

“When the public realizes what is at stake, I think there is going to be a massive outcry: Americans will look at Congress and say, ‘What were you thinking?’” Wyden wrote in a Medium post announcing the legislation.