Posted on 07/29/2010 5:35:33 AM PDT by Palter
The Obama administration is seeking to make it easier for the FBI to compel companies to turn over records of an individual's Internet activity without a court order if agents deem the information relevant to a terrorism or intelligence investigation.
The administration wants to add just four words -- "electronic communication transactional records" -- to a list of items that the law says the FBI may demand without a judge's approval. Government lawyers say this category of information includes the addresses to which an Internet user sends e-mail; the times and dates e-mail was sent and received; and possibly a user's browser history. It does not include, the lawyers hasten to point out, the "content" of e-mail or other Internet communication.
But what officials portray as a technical clarification designed to remedy a legal ambiguity strikes industry lawyers and privacy advocates as an expansion of the power the government wields through so-called national security letters. These missives, which can be issued by an FBI field office on its own authority, require the recipient to provide the requested information and to keep the request secret. They are the mechanism the government would use to obtain the electronic records.
Stewart A. Baker, a former senior Bush administration Homeland Security official, said the proposed change would broaden the bureau's authority. "It'll be faster and easier to get the data," said Baker, who practices national security and surveillance law. "And for some Internet providers, it'll mean giving a lot more information to the FBI in response to an NSL."
Many Internet service providers have resisted the government's demands to turn over electronic records, arguing that surveillance law as written does not allow them to do so, industry lawyers say.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...
‘information relevant to a terrorism or intelligence investigation. ‘
The WOT fix all claim.
No doubt near the top of the list will be looking for those DHS listed “right wing extremists”... So the list of people accessing the websites of conservative talk show hosts will be pulled, the list of people accessing or (gasp) contributing to FR will be pulled... Anyone streaming FOX News will be noted... This is how fascism creeps in...
Reason number 176 for why I am so happy not to be living in the USSA anymore.
If Bush were president this would be all over the news and they would be calling him a nazi. Obviously the leftist media approves of this for our marxist president.
And don;t think that the feds will go to an ISP and ask for the records. They will use viruses to get it.
Interesting. The libs all whined about Bush’s warrantless wiretaps to detect the potential for terrorist activity, but they think it’s ok for the FBI to spy on Americans expressing their free speech rights on the Internet.
No double standard here!
/sarc
Obama is mis-using Executive Privileges to sanitize and cauterize his illegitimate ascension to the “throne” in DC.What was feared is about to happen, Internet Gestapo is happening.
I honestly wish he would shut down the internet even if for ony 24 hours, maybe then will it start a firestorm of support of a United front to remove this usurper from the Whitehouse.
Obama failed to qualify, he did not meet the requirements to be POTUS, its been covered up by both parties, ALL of America knows this, and its an abomination to be held in fear of these so called race riots that would occur if he was removed.
But that fear is very real to many such as the SCOTUS and Obama will be allowed his “token” black act to perform like like many popular movies from the 70’s that always had at least one black actor.
Liberals have double standards for everything...
Just a little more erosion of the constitution and a further suspension of habeas corpus; our Imperial Congress and the Dictator in the White Hoouse couldn’t care less that the American way of life is sliding down the crapper....
Those who will be immune from the FBI:
1) any Black liberation web site
2) any CAIR web site
3) Any La Raza sites promoting the retaking of the SouthWest
4) Pro-Abortion sites
5) Gay/Lesbian sites
6) NAMBLA
7) any site devoted to the dear leader-OBAMA
8) anti-Christian web sites
9) anti-Israel websites
10) NAACP
What they really want is complete and open access to any and all information that is passed through the internet, so that they can harass, audit and prosecute those who oppose the mad march to marxism that this country is currently suffering through.
This was once a great country. It no longer is. It may be one again some day.
Depends on the millions of shallow TV-watching mind numbed robots and whether they realize the big mistake they made in November 2008 and correct it in the next big election.
* “It’ll be faster and easier to get the data,” *
= “IT WILL BE FASTER AND EASIER TO SUPPRESS FREE SPEECH AND FIND OUT WHO TO HAUL OUT TO THE ‘RE-EDUCATION CAMPS’ ONCE THEY ARE BUILT.”
I'm fairly certain someone on the Left is blaming Bush for this right now.
Either that or saying that if you disagree with it you are “racist.”
Those are the only two options the Marxist/Alinsky/Obama/Pelosi/Reid/Gore crowd know to assign to any issue.
1) any Black liberation web site
2) any CAIR web site
3) Any La Raza sites promoting the retaking of the SouthWest
4) Pro-Abortion sites
5) Gay/Lesbian sites
6) NAMBLA
7) any site devoted to the dear leader-OBAMA
8) anti-Christian web sites
9) anti-Israel websites
10) NAACP*
AIN'T IT THE TRUTH!
Don't forget Bill Maher, Michael Moore, Sean Penn, Al “Millions of Degrees” Gore, and all pro-cap n’ trade websites will also be exempt.
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