The following statement can be attributed to Chris Mohr, President, Software & Information Industry Association (SIIA).
While the Software & Information Industry Association (SIIA) is pleased by the progress Congress has made towards finalizing the FY23 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), we are disappointed that Congress is considering using this vehicle to place restrictions on information available in the public domain.
SIIA strongly supports protecting the safety of judges and their families, and we support the goals of the Daniel Anderl Judicial Security and Privacy Act of 2022, contained in the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) that passed the House last week. Included in this legislation is Section 5934, which would permit any current or retired federal judge, as well as their family members and people living in their households, to demand the removal of information about them from the public domain. SIIA nonetheless strongly opposes this measure, as we have no doubt that this form of censorship will restrict judicial transparency and the public’s ability to engage in judicial oversight, undermine First Amendment protections, and limit socially-beneficial uses of information for both the public and judges themselves. Indeed, invoking the rights proposed under Section 5934 will make it difficult for a lender to assess the creditworthiness of a judge.
Read the full statement here.
