Congress Considers Increasing New PATRIOT Spying Powers
Electronic Frontier Foundation
The Senate Intelligence Committee is currently considering a draft bill that would not only renew the USA PATRIOT Act's worse provisions, but would
also expand the government's power to secretly demand the private
records of people who aren't suspected of any crime – without a judge's
approval.
The
Justice Department already has dangerously broad subpoena powers under
the USA PATRIOT Act. PATRIOT Section 215 allows intelligence
investigators to demand all kinds of private records about citizens who
aren't suspected of spying or terrorism. PATRIOT Section 505,
meanwhile, expanded the government's ability to use “National Security
Letters” to secretly obtain data on private online and financial
activities without court oversight or probable cause.
The new
bill not only makes these highly controversial provisions permanent, it
marries the worst aspects of the two, allowing new “administrative
subpoenas” in national security cases that would let the government
secretly demand all types of records without a judge's permission.
The
Justice Department tried to get this super-charged subpoena power
inserted into PATRIOT back in 2001. But even in the immediate aftermath
of 9/11, Congress refused to allow this kind of unchecked surveillance
power.
(Source)
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