Dems want warrantless access to your email

By HSoft
in Real World News

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Grand Master

HSoft

Posted
Posted

A Senate proposal touted as protecting Americans' e-mail privacy has been quietly rewritten, giving government agencies more surveillance power than they possess under current law.

CNET has learned that Patrick Leahy, the influential Democratic chairman of the Senate Judiciary committee, has dramatically reshaped his legislation in response to law enforcement concerns. A vote on his bill, which now authorizes warrantless access to Americans' e-mail, is scheduled for next week.

Leahy's rewritten bill would allow more than 22 agencies -- including the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Federal Communications Commission -- to access Americans' e-mail, Google Docs files, Facebook wall posts, and Twitter direct messages without a search warrant. It also would give the FBI and Homeland Security more authority, in some circumstances, to gain full access to Internet accounts without notifying either the owner or a judge.

It's an abrupt departure from Leahy's earlier approach, which required police to obtain a search warrant backed by probable cause before they could read the contents of e-mail or other communications. The Vermont Democrat boasted last year that his bill "provides enhanced privacy protections for American consumers by... requiring that the government obtain a search warrant."

http://news.cnet.com/8301-13578_3-57552225-38/senate-bill-rewrite-lets-feds-read-your-e-mail-without-warrants/?part=rss&subj=news&tag=title

Experienced

Routerbad

Posted
Posted

Haha, I doubt that's what they're interested in. It isn't just email. It's facebook posts, IM's, Google Docs (and by extension, Office 365 docs). Anything you put online, even in situations where you would have a reasonable expectation of privacy. It would basically nullify your 4th amendment rights when online.

In other words, http://www.france24.com/en/20121119-india-holds-woman-facebook-post-thackeray this would not be far off.

Veteran

Soldiers33

Posted
Posted

And just an another sign of america trying to control the whole world under one goverment. Had a very interesting read about freemasons the other day and everything just falls into place. First emails then letters, then banks. Soon everyone will be like sheep.

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Shane Nokes

Posted
Posted

And just an another sign of america trying to control the whole world under one goverment. Had a very interesting read about freemasons the other day and everything just falls into place. First emails then letters, then banks. Soon everyone will be like sheep.

Indeed, and that interesting thing you read about freemasons was likely full of crap. :p

My grandfather was a freemason...and it's not what you think it is.

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siah1214

Posted
Posted

If you have nothing to hide then you shouldn't worry. Then again why would I want anyone to read my personal emails. This is getting out of hands.

I'm going to put a camera in your bedroom. If you have nothing to hide then you shouldn't worry.

Grand Master

M_Lyons10

Posted
Posted

The Democrats get scarier every day. Not because they want to increase the size of government and take all of your rights away, but because they do so under the guise of laws that they claim will help YOU out... LOL It's so unbelievably shady.

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2xSilverKnight

Posted
Posted

The Democrats get scarier every day. Not because they want to increase the size of government and take all of your rights away, but because they do so under the guise of laws that they claim will help YOU out... LOL It's so unbelievably shady.

Republicans would have done the same. Same ****

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Grand Master

FloatingFatMan

Posted
Posted

So down goes the freedoms that the US once stood for thanks to the Democrats that the majority (mindless emotion driven sheep) elected.

Do you really think it'd actually be ANY different under the Republicans?

All politicians are the same, in it for self interest only. The average guy in the street will still be bent over and butt raped, no matter what colour badge the buggers are wearing.

Grand Master

*RedBull*

Posted
Posted

Do you really think it'd actually be ANY different under the Republicans?

All politicians are the same, in it for self interest only. The average guy in the street will still be bent over and butt raped, no matter what colour badge the buggers are wearing.

I'm not going to argue that. It's the Dems who are invading privacy and violating the constitution.

Grand Master

FloatingFatMan

Posted
Posted

I'm not going to argue that. It's the Dems who are invading privacy and violating the constitution.

Using laws enacted by the Rebuplicans, such as the PATRIOT act. So no, it's really not worth arguing, is it? :p

Grand Master

*RedBull*

Posted
Posted

Using laws enacted by the Rebuplicans, such as the PATRIOT act. So no, it's really not worth arguing, is it? :p

Why do you choose to skirt the real issue of the violation of the constitution? Does it really bother you that the Democrats are being fingered for this?

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