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House approves bill allowing destruction of electronic devices in extreme child‑abuse and identity‑theft cases
Summary
HB 184 permits law enforcement to destroy electronic devices containing evidence of child sexual abuse or identity theft when wiping is insufficient; the sponsor said the bill gives victims a course of action and reimburses law enforcement for reasonable costs; passed 78‑0.
The Utah House passed HB 184 on Feb. 10, a bill focused on procedures for handling electronic devices that contain sensitive data in cases of child sexual abuse and identity theft. Representative Fossin (Fosn), sponsor, told the House such devices (including phones and computers) can retain sensitive data even after attempts to wipe them, and in extreme cases destruction may be necessary to protect victims.
Fossin described scenarios in which a family member asks for return of personal items (photos, genealogy), and the bill creates a course of action to retrieve data when possible and allows law enforcement reimbursement for reasonable retrieval costs. The bill passed the House 78‑0 and will be referred to the Senate.
