In the wake of the Internet scare caused by the “Heartbleed Bug”, the Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau has released two reports detailing online privacy and state services regarding cyber security.

Regarding online privacy, a hot topic in the nation after the revelations in the media relating to the National Security Agency’s surveillance, many states are moving forward with legislation to help citizens feel more safe online. In some state legislatures, legislation prohibits employers and schools from providing social networking usernames when applying for employment or acceptance.

As more and more people use e-mail to keep in contact, the right to privacy of personal e-mails has become a topic among many courts. Some legislatures have expressed concern that seizing e-mails without a warrant is a violation of the Fourth Amendment’s right to no unreasonable search and seizures. In 2013, Texas became the first state to require a warrant to collect personal e-mails.

In Wisconsin, there have been a number of recent proposals that has attempted to update state statutes regarding online privacy. Current statutes address court ordered interception of electronic communications, and the process to get warrants to view electronic communications.

More information about Wisconsin State Statutes and online privacy can be found in the report.