Texas bans police email snooping in PRISM reaction

The state of Texas and its government haven't traditionally been seen in the best light by the rest of the world.

The people that brought us George W Bush have taken the heat for everything from immigration policy to science curriculum. The state is routinely seen as backwards and misguided, particularly in Europe.

In one case, however, Texas seems to be ahead of the rest of the US and much of Europe when it comes to protecting user privacy.

Earlier this week the state legislature passed a bill that would place the nation's strongest restriction on law enforcement collecting data from email service providers. The bill, which has yet to be signed by governor Rick Perry, would terminate any provisions in which investigators will be able to access data without first obtaining a warrant.

Such protections would provide a valuable safeguard for citizens online. Such warrantless collection of data is often seen as a central component of covert data snooping programmes such as PRISM, which has been brought to light in recent weeks. The rule would require investigators to stand before a judge and provide just cause each and every time they want a service provider to hand over user data.

If the bill is signed, users in Texas will have greater protections from online eavesdropping than those in such progressive havens as San Francisco, Boston, New York City and Seattle. As unlikely as it may be, in this case Texas is setting the standard for electronic policy and user rights.