SALT LAKE CITY, Utah, (May 5, 2021) – On Wednesday, a Utah law went into effect that requires police to get a warrant before accessing data transmitted through an electronic communication service. The new law will not only increase privacy protections in Utah; it will also hinder the expansion of the federal surveillance state. Rep. Craig Hall (R-West Valley City) introduced House Bill 87 (HB87) on Jan 19. The law prohibits law enforcement agencies from accessing electronic information or data transmitted through a provider of an electronic communication service. In practice, this tightens up the existing law to ensure police must get a warrant before accessing communication service provider networks in order to intercept data.