Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security – Oversight Hearing on the Implementation of the USA PATRIOT Act: Sections of the Act that Address–Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA). (Part 1) Section 204: Clarification of Intelligence Exceptions from Limitations on Interception & Disclosure of Wire, Oral & Electronic Communications; Section 207: Duration of FISA Surveillance of… Continue Reading
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Applications to Special Court Hit Record High
From Secrecy News, “During calendar year 2004, 1,758 applications were made to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court for electronic surveillance and physical search, according to the latest Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) annual report to Congress. That established a new annual record for domestic counterintelligence and counterterrorism surveillance and search activity.” Continue Reading
DOJ Press Release Documents Use of Patriot Act
Press release today – Fact Sheet: USA Patriot Act Provisions Set for Reauthorization “Section 215 allows the FISA court to order the production of business records and other items, in the context of a national security investigation, to obtain foreign intelligence information not concerning a U.S. person; or to protect against international terrorism or clandestine… Continue Reading
Review of National Security Surveillance
The System of Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Law: “In 2003, for the first time, more wiretap orders were issued in the United States under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978 (FISA) than for all law enforcement actions. This Article provides a thorough analysis of the history and theory of the U.S. system of foreign intelligence… Continue Reading
The Patriot Act: A Slate Guide to the Highlights
A Guide to the Patriot Act, Part 1 – Should you be scared of the Patriot Act? proclaims there are villans on both side of the fight over the extension of this act, as well as its proposed progeny, the Victory Act (as the Patriot Act II was quickly dispatched while still in draft). This… Continue Reading
New Privacy Bill: Protecting the Rights of Individuals Act
From the American Library Association Washington Office Newsline: “Last night, July 31, Senators Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) and Ron Wyden (D-OR), introduced the “Protecting the Rights of Individuals Act.” (S. 1552) This bill contains many provisions that will help to restore some protections of civil liberties weakened by the USA PATRIOT Act. Several provisions are of… Continue Reading
Ashcroft and the Patriot Act Vs. Libraries
According to an article in FCW: “Attorney General John Ashcroft defended the Justice Department’s search of library records under the USA Patriot Act, telling lawmakers the process safeguards individual privacy,” when he testified yesterday before the Judiciary Committee. In related news: Ashcroft Wants Broader Anti-Terror Powers: “Ashcroft told the House Judiciary Committee that the 2001… Continue Reading
Senate Passes Amendments to Surveillance Act
On May 8, the Senate passed, 90 – 4, S. 113, the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance bill “to amend the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978 (FISA) to cover individuals, other than United States persons, who engage in international terrorism without affiliation with an international terrorist group.” See the text of the floor debate from the… Continue Reading
Domestic Surveillance Report for 2002
Via the FAS Project on Government Secrecy, news that Attorney General Ashcroft has submitted a report “pursuant to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978, Title 50, United States Code, Section 1807, as amended,” as acknowledged in this letter. The letter states, “1228 applications were made to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court for electronic surveillance… Continue Reading
Supreme Court Declines Review of Wiretapping Case
The ACLU’s March 24 press release expressed disappointment over the Supreme Court’s order yesterday to reject their request to review the November 18, 2002 decision by the United States Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court of Review upholding the DOJ’s use of wiretapping and interception of e-mail and other communications as provided by the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance… Continue Reading
Library Surveillance Exclusion Sought
Spurred on by an October 22, 2002 letter from the Vermont Library Association, Rep. Bernard Sanders (I-VT) introduced a new bill on March 6, the Freedom to Read Protection Act, to exempt libraries and bookstores from Section 215 of the Patriot Act. He did so with a bi-partisan coalition of 24 co-sponsors. Section 215 is… Continue Reading
Appeal to Supreme Court on Gov't Surveillance
The ACLU, on behalf of a group of civil liberties organizations and several Arab-American organizations, filed an appeal (PDF) with the Supreme Court on February 18 in re: The Sealed Case of the Foreign Intelligence Court of Review (FISA) (PDF) decided November 18, 2002. This controversial decision, the first in the history of FISA, gave… Continue Reading
