Tuesday, April 03, 2007

Secret Secrets

After reading this, I am finally convinced that the threat to civil liberties in this country is very real:

The Justice Department's inspector general revealed on March 9 that the FBI has been systematically abusing one of the most controversial provisions of the USA Patriot Act: the expanded power to issue "national security letters." It no doubt surprised most Americans to learn that between 2003 and 2005 the FBI issued more than 140,000 specific demands under this provision -- demands issued without a showing of probable cause or prior judicial approval -- to obtain potentially sensitive information about U.S. citizens and residents. It did not, however, come as any surprise to me.

Three years ago, I received a national security letter (NSL) in my capacity as the president of a small Internet access and consulting business. The letter ordered me to provide sensitive information about one of my clients. There was no indication that a judge had reviewed or approved the letter, and it turned out that none had. The letter came with a gag provision that prohibited me from telling anyone, including my client, that the FBI was seeking this information. Based on the context of the demand -- a context that the FBI still won't let me discuss publicly -- I suspected that the FBI was abusing its power and that the letter sought information to which the FBI was not entitled.

Two years after this person fought the subpoena, "the FBI decided that it no longer needs the information anyway. But the FBI still hasn't abandoned the gag order that prevents me from disclosing my experience and concerns with the law or the national security letter that was served on my company."

Let's see: the FBI decides "Oops! Never mind!" and the FBI decides when, if ever, someone can talk about something they decided they never needed in the first place. And all along there is no judicial oversight. In fact, it is safe to say there is absolutely no oversight by anyone. What was I saying somewhere over on Althouse about free speech in America? Never mind.

As they say, read the whole thing.

(Article published in the Washington Post on March 23, 2007.)

3 comments:

Net-Watch said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
benning said...

As always with any government, if you give them an inch they'll take mile. And tax you for it!

Randy said...

Isn't that the truth, Benning!

I have to say that, if this was me, I'd definitely be rotting in a jail somwhere, probably indefinitely, because I would not be able to stifle myself for that long a period.