July 18, 2018

Castro, McCaul Bill Passes House, Heads to Senate

WASHINGTON–Congressman Joaquin Castro (TX-20), a member of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs and House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, and Congressman Michael T. McCaul (TX-10), Chairman of the House Committee on Homeland Security and senior member of the Foreign Affairs Committee, today welcomed the House of Representatives’ unanimous passage of their bipartisan measure the Protecting Diplomats from Surveillance Through Consumer Devices Act (H.R. 4989). This legislation would account for location-tracking consumer devices in U.S. embassy and consulate security policies.

“The United States diplomatic corps advances and protects U.S. interests and ideals sometimes in the most dangerous pockets of the world. Given press reporting about the risk posed by fitness location-tracking devices, we must evolve the ways in which we protect our diplomats to new and evolving technologies,” said Rep. Castro and Chairman McCaul. “We welcome today’s passage in the House of Representatives of the Protecting Diplomats from Surveillance Through Consumer Devices Act, which requires the State Department to update its embassy and consular policies to address the vulnerabilities exposed through location-tracking consumer devices. As lawmakers, we must continue accounting for evolving technology that poses new threats so we can protect those who risk their lives to serve our nation.”

# # #