{"id":59221,"date":"2025-08-21T18:45:34","date_gmt":"2025-08-21T18:45:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.threatshub.org\/blog\/congressman-proposes-bringing-back-letters-of-marque-for-cyber-privateers\/"},"modified":"2025-08-21T18:45:34","modified_gmt":"2025-08-21T18:45:34","slug":"congressman-proposes-bringing-back-letters-of-marque-for-cyber-privateers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.threatshub.org\/blog\/congressman-proposes-bringing-back-letters-of-marque-for-cyber-privateers\/","title":{"rendered":"Congressman proposes bringing back letters of marque for cyber privateers"},"content":{"rendered":"

It’s been more than 200 years since the United States issued a letter of marque allowing privateers to attack the vessels of foreign nations, but those letters may return to empower cyber operators if a bill introduced in Congress actually manages to pass. <\/p>\n

Arizona Republican David Schweikert introduced the Scam Farms Marque and Reprisal Authorization Act<\/a> of 2025 in the House of Representatives last week. If signed into law, it would give the US President a lot of leeway in issuing letters of marque to create an armada of internet privateers. <\/p>\n

Letters of marque were popular in the age of sail, with many eventual pirates getting their starts as privateers working for the US, UK, France, Spain, and other naval powers of the era. The US last issued letters of marque during the war of 1812, giving privateers the right to wage war against British vessels. <\/p>\n