Sen. Wyden: Federal Websites Vulnerable to Surveillance
Lawmaker wants federal agencies to hide website names from people monitoring internet traffic
WASHINGTON, Oct. 20, 2026 — Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., is urging federal agencies to strengthen website privacy protections, warning that hackers and foreign adversaries could identify Americans visiting sensitive government websites, including FBI tip lines and veterans’ mental health services.
In an Oct. 19 letter to the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) and the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), Wyden called for agencies to adopt Encrypted Client Hello (ECH), a technology that hides the name of a website a person visits from those monitoring internet traffic.
