The Electronic Communication Privacy Act (ECPA) primarily addresses which concern?

The Electronic Communication Privacy Act (ECPA) is primarily focused on the privacy of electronic communications. Enacted in 1986, the ECPA was designed to extend government restrictions on wiretaps and access to electronic communications, such as emails and telephone conversations, thus providing a legal framework to protect the privacy of individuals in their electronic communications. This legislation establishes guidelines for how and when the government can access electronic communications and emphasizes the need for consent from individuals before their communications can be intercepted or disclosed.

The act recognizes that electronic communications should be afforded privacy rights similar to those of traditional forms of communication, such as letters and telephone calls. By doing so, the ECPA aims to protect individuals against unauthorized access and surveillance, which is critical in a digital age where communication often occurs through online platforms and services.

In contrast, the other options do not align with the primary concern addressed by the ECPA. While intellectual property laws protect creations of the mind, government regulation of online content often deals with censorship and content moderation rather than privacy issues, and criminal handling of cyber offenses focuses on the prosecution of cyber crimes rather than privacy protections for individual communications.