Amendments to the law twenty years ago expanded the powers of Western law enforcement agencies. The initiative was greeted coolly, and we decided to look into the essence of the matter.
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Controversial issue
US Senators PATRIOT Act, back in 2001 after the events of 11/XNUMX. It gives the police and government broad powers to oversee citizens.
But it was amended - the FBI allowed to view the logs of Internet providers and study the history of visiting the sites of the country's residents without a warrant. It is enough for the agency to send the corresponding request to the provider.
The public took the news extremely negatively. First of all, because it violates the Fourth Amendment to the US Constitution, which prohibits a search without good reason and a warrant issued by the court. Criticism came from various human rights organizations, such as the American Civil Liberties Union and the nonprofit Americans for Prosperity, as well as Republican and Democratic senators.
Among the latter, Ron Wyden stood out. He the text of the document is "dangerous", because its vague wording opens up opportunities for abuse.
His point of view was shared by a representative of the company Fight For The Future, which protects the digital rights of US citizens. According to him , The PATRIOT Act should be buried as one of the worst laws passed in the last century. Its ineffectiveness has even been confirmed by a government organization, the US Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board (PCLOB).
This year the staff , in which they said that over the past four years, PATRIOT Act has only once allowed law enforcement officers to obtain valuable information.
Not the first time
US authorities amendments to the legislation back in 2016 to give intelligence agencies the authority to study the history of browsing. When investigating cases involving especially dangerous crimes, the warrant replaced the letter of the head of the department of the federal bureau.
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FBI Chief James Comey the need to go to court "a typo in the text of the law." But providers, major IT companies and human rights activists, who criticized the initiative, did not agree with him. They that law enforcement officers encroach on the privacy of Americans. Then the amendments expanding the powers of the FBI .
What's next
Although the amendments to the PATRIOT Act have been approved, the situation is far from over. More than fifty human rights organizations politicians to reconsider the decision.
In May, several congressmen also change the situation. They an amendment that would oblige the FBI to obtain a warrant to view the history of visiting sites on the side of Internet service providers. But in order to accept just one vote. Although then four senators did not vote (for various reasons), so their opinion could turn the tide in the future.
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Source: habr.com