Congressional Bill Aims To Protect Journalists From Government Surveillance

Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) speaks during a Senate Finance Committee hearing in the Dirksen Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill, on Oct. 19, 2021. Mandel Ngan/Pool via Reuters

American journalists may soon have protection from Congress against attempts by the federal government to seize their private data.

A bipartisan coalition in the House and Senate reintroduced the PRESS Act (Protect Reporters from Exploitive State Spying) on June 21 to limit the government’s ability to compel reporters to disclose data that might reveal the identities or endanger their sources.