House-passed USA FREEDOM Act fails to fully protect Americans' privacy

Washington, D.C.—In response to today’s passage of the USA FREEDOM Act (H.R. 3361) in the House of Representatives, American Library Association (ALA) President Barbara Stripling today released the following statement:

“The House’s action today sends a clear signal that the wholesale collection of Americans’ phone records in the interest of national security is fundamentally un-American, unacceptable and unlawful.  Unfortunately, the version of the USA FREEDOM Act voted on today was just a shadow of the one introduced in the House. ALA calls on the Senate to restore the important privacy protections stripped at the last minute from the House’s bill, and to go further to truly protect all of our civil rights. For our more than 57,000 members, that fight starts today.”

About the American Library Association

The American Library Association is the oldest and largest library association in the world, with more than 57,000 members in academic, public, school, government, and special libraries. The mission of the American Library Association is to provide leadership for the development, promotion and improvement of library and information services and the profession of librarianship in order to enhance learning and ensure access to information for all.