18 U.S.C. § 2522
Section 2522 · Enforcement of the Communications Assistance for Law Enforcement Act
This is the Electronic Communications Privacy Act of 1986
Amended 1 time on record
Applied in 11 court decisions — leading case United States v. Norris (1998)
Most recently applied in United States v. Robert Elliott (August 2024)
How often courts cite this section
Court decisions citing this, by year.Markers show enactment, consequential amendments, and circuit splits over this section — watch for a citation surge after a change or a disagreement. The dip in the last several years is a data-coverage gap, not a real trend — our corpus holds fewer opinions from the most recent years, so recent citations are undercounted.
(a) Enforcement by Court Issuing Surveillance Order.—If a court authorizing an interception under this chapter, a State statute, or the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978 (50 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.) or authorizing use of a pen register or a trap and trace device under chapter 206 or a State statute finds that a telecommunications carrier has failed to comply with the requirements of the Communications Assistance for Law Enforcement Act, the court may, in accordance with section 108 of such Act, direct that the carrier comply forthwith and may direct that a provider of support services to the carrier or the manufacturer of the carrier's transmission or switching equipment furnish forthwith modifications necessary for the carrier to comply.
(b) Enforcement Upon Application by Attorney General.—The Attorney General may, in a civil action in the appropriate United States district court, obtain an order, in accordance with section 108 of the Communications Assistance for Law Enforcement Act, directing that a telecommunications carrier, a manufacturer of telecommunications transmission or switching equipment, or a provider of telecommunications support services comply with such Act.
(c) Civil Penalty.—
(1) In general.—A court issuing an order under this section against a telecommunications carrier, a manufacturer of telecommunications transmission or switching equipment, or a provider of telecommunications support services may impose a civil penalty of up to $10,000 per day for each day in violation after the issuance of the order or after such future date as the court may specify.
(2) Considerations.—In determining whether to impose a civil penalty and in determining its amount, the court shall take into account—
(A) the nature, circumstances, and extent of the violation;
(B) the violator's ability to pay, the violator's good faith efforts to comply in a timely manner, any effect on the violator's ability to continue to do business, the degree of culpability, and the length of any delay in undertaking efforts to comply; and
(C) such other matters as justice may require.
(d) Definitions.—As used in this section, the terms defined in section 102 of the Communications Assistance for Law Enforcement Act have the meanings provided, respectively, in such section.
Editorial notes U.S. Code · Office of the Law Revision Counsel
References in Text
The Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978, referred to in subsec. (a), is Pub. L. 95–511, Oct. 25, 1978, 92 Stat. 1783, as amended, which is classified principally to chapter 36 (§1801 et seq.) of Title 50, War and National Defense. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see Short Title note set out under section 1801 of Title 50 and Tables.
The Communications Assistance for Law Enforcement Act, referred to in subsecs. (a) and (b), is title I of Pub. L. 103–414, Oct. 25, 1994, 108 Stat. 4279, which is classified generally to chapter 9 (§1001 et seq.) of Title 47, Telegraphs, Telephones, and Radiotelegraphs. Sections 102 and 108 of the Act are classified to sections 1001 and 1007, respectively, of Title 47. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see Short Title note set out under section 1001 of Title 47 and Tables.