I know this isn’t really an identity theft relevant topic, but I felt it pertinent all the same. The goal of ProtectIdentity.com is to keep you and your family safe. In that aspect, I think it’s not a digression.
“The FBI uses national security letters to find not just who the target of an investigation e-mailed, but also who those people e-mailed and who e-mailed them.” This is the statement that Gregory Nojeim, the director of the Project on Freedom, Security and Technology at the Center for Democracy and Technology made in reference to the governments new stance on web surfing. It’s a slippery slope though. Yes, it is true that this policy will help law enforcement track and catch those engaging in illegal activity, but the massive invasion of privacy cannot be easily overlooked. Criticism abounds.
The current process isn’t without flaws anyway. Obtaining a security letter to gather information has not been an infallible system. The bureau has allegedly engaged in a widespread and serious misuse of its authority in the issuing of these letters. From 2003 to 2006, the bureau issued 192,499 national security letter requests. It has also been concluded by the Justice Department’s inspector in 2007, that data from Americans and foreigners has been collected illegally.
This is not something to put out of sight and out of mind. It’s a huge expansion of the FBI’s authority. They are planning on burying it in the intelligence authorization bill. Why? Is it really just intended to bury it from scrutiny? The proposed amendment is going to add the category “electronic communications transactional records” to a section of the law which already lists only those items cited in the Justice legal opinion. Why? It’s because those four words are already included in another section of the law.
It should be met that this proposed amendment has Congress on guard with good reason. The Obama administration’s action here could just clarify a statue or end up allowing the FBI to request sensitive information without federal judges and courts being allowed to scrutinize it.
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