Help Find Missing Americans Act Inspired by Daniel Robinson
Help Find Missing Americans Act was inspired by the disappearance of Daniel Robinson
South Carolina Bill Would Force Wireless Companies to Share Missing Person Data with Families
A new bill prefiled in the South Carolina legislature could dramatically change how families access critical information when loved ones go missing, by requiring wireless companies to release cell phone location data and call records directly to primary account holders.
The “Help Find Missing Americans Act,” filed by Senator Russell Ott (D-SC), was inspired by the 2021 disappearance of Daniel Robinson, a Columbia native and College of Charleston graduate who vanished from a remote Arizona worksite. Robinson’s family was unable to access his cell phone records—information that could have provided crucial leads for investigators.
Breaking Down Barriers to Information
Under current protocols, families of missing persons often face significant obstacles when trying to access their loved ones’ digital footprints. While law enforcement can obtain this information through search warrants, the process can be time-consuming, and families are typically left in the dark during the most critical early hours of an investigation.
The proposed legislation would change this dynamic by creating a direct pathway for information sharing. When a primary account holder requests missing person data, wireless companies would first verify the missing person report with law enforcement, then have 30 days to provide the requested location data and call records.
This approach could potentially accelerate investigations by allowing families to share information with investigators more quickly than traditional warrant processes allow.
“You know, for those of us who have never thankfully had to experience that, I try to put myself in those shoes,” Senator Ott explained. “And I’m sure it’s a very desperate, desperate scenario. And I think, you know, the more information, the more people that have access, law enforcement and the families that can try to locate that person, I think the better.”
Protecting Wireless Companies
The legislation includes important safeguards for wireless carriers, shielding them from civil or criminal liability as long as they act in good faith while complying with the law. This provision addresses potential concerns from telecom companies about privacy violations or legal exposure.
The bill also includes standard severability language, ensuring that if any portion of the law is ruled unconstitutional, the remaining valid sections can still be enforced.
A Growing National Conversation
South Carolina’s proposed legislation reflects a broader national debate about balancing privacy rights with public safety concerns in missing persons cases. As digital technology becomes increasingly central to daily life, cell phone data has emerged as one of the most valuable tools for tracking missing individuals’ movements and communications.
The bill’s introduction comes as families across the country have increasingly vocalized frustrations with the current system, arguing that bureaucratic delays in accessing digital evidence can mean the difference between life and death in time-sensitive missing person cases.
Next Steps
The legislation has been prefiled and will go to committee when lawmakers return to the Statehouse in January. Its progress will be closely watched by missing persons advocates, privacy experts, and telecommunications companies alike.
If passed, South Carolina would join a small but growing number of states exploring ways to streamline access to digital evidence in missing persons cases, potentially setting a precedent for similar legislation nationwide.
The bill represents a significant shift toward empowering families with direct access to information that could prove crucial in the race against time that defines most missing person investigations. As technology continues to evolve, lawmakers face the ongoing challenge of adapting legal frameworks to meet the urgent needs of families in crisis while maintaining appropriate privacy protections.