By Steve Neavling
ticklethewire.com
The FBI is about to get the authority to hack millions of computers under President-elect Donald Trump.
That’s because lawmakers at midnight failed to stop changes to the federal code of criminal procedure, Huffington Post reports.
Starting Thursday, the changes allow a Department of Justice official to get a warrant that lets the FBI hack numerous devices by asserting that a single computer crime may involve million of networked devices.
Opponents of the changes said there’s no assurance from law enforcement officials that people’s privacy won’t be violated.
“At midnight tonight, this Senate will make one of the biggest mistakes in surveillance policy in years and years,” said Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., who tried with a Republican and Democratic senator to delay or rein in the new FBI powers. “Without a single congressional hearing, without a shred of meaningful public input, without any opportunity for senators to ask their questions in a public forum, one judge with one warrant would be able to authorize the hacking of thousands, possibly millions of devices, cell phones and tablets.”
