Attorney General's News Release

July 22, 2011

Attorney General Koster announces plans for electronic security/privacy summit

Jefferson City, Mo. – Attorney General Chris Koster today announced his plans to host a summit in October focusing on electronic communications security and privacy.

In calling for the summit, Koster noted that the recent controversies regarding phone mail hacking in Great Britian had caused him to request an analysis of current Missouri law on a host of topics. The initial findings from that review indicate a need to update several current statutes and contemplate new legislative action in areas where technology has outpaced state law.

Koster said summit participants will take testimony from law enforcement, advocacy groups, and citizens in order to review current laws on such issues as phone hacking, email privacy, identity theft, and unauthorized GPS tracking.

“As our world has moved more and more into electronic communications, new avenues of illegal activities related to identity theft, phone tapping, and violations of privacy rights have presented themselves,” Koster said. “Our goal with the October summit will be to review our current laws and present specific legislative recommendations to the General Assembly for the 2012 legislative session to address these issues.”

Further details regarding the time and place of the summit will become public as they become available.