By Steve Neavling ticklethewire.com The U.S. government has fewer tools to fight terrorism after key provisions of the Patriot Act expired late Sunday despite a last-minute push by some Senators. CNN reports that the expiration ends the NSA’s controversial bulk data collection program. The NSA had been collecting phone metadata on millions of Americans. Law enforcement…
By Steve Neavling ticklethewire.com Federal investigators are worried they are about to lose surveillance tools that have been valuable in the fight against terrorism. The Associated Press reports that the surveillance is part of the controversial Patriot Act that offered more investigative tools. But those tools are at risk because they are set to expire…
Ellen Glasser President of The Society of Former Special Agents of the FBI Today, the Society of Former Special Agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation is urging Senate leaders to pass legislation that will reauthorize the expiring provisions of the USA PATRIOT (Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and…
By Steve Neavling ticklethewire.com The FBI and National Security Administration are on the verge of losing surveillance powers that were gained after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. Authorities for both agencies are urging lawmakers to preserve the spy powers before the expire June 1, The Guardian reports. Some members of Congress want more surveillance reforms…
By Steve Neavling ticklethewire.com The FBI’s ability to covertly collect “books, papers, documents, and other items” with a court order is at risk. The Washington Times reports that the Section 215 of the Patriot Act is set to expire in June, and it’s unclear whether lawmakers will “renew it, reform it or let it expire.”…
Steve Neavling ticklethewire.com NSA leaker Edward J. Snowden plans to break his silence after spending nearly three weeks in legal limbo at Moscow’s Sheremetyevo Airport, The New York Times reports. Airport officials said Snowden plans to meet with international human rights groups Friday. The rights workers will be escorted through security and into the transit…
By Matthew Harwood ACLU Media Relations Associate Next Tuesday, James Comey will have his first job interview for succeeding Robert Mueller as director of the FBI. Members of the Senate Judiciary Committee will not only have the chance to determine whether Comey is qualified for the job—and we have our concerns—but an opportunity to examine…
Steve Neavling ticklethewire.com Can the FBI force a phone company to turn over its customer records for an investigation? The question is at the center of a rare civil complaint filed by the U.S. Department of Justice, which claims the phone company was interfering with national security, reports the Wall Street Journal. The case, which…
