Politech mailing list archives
FBI may get more power to pry into records [priv]
From: Declan McCullagh <declan () well com>
Date: Thu, 13 Nov 2003 00:33:28 -0500
--- To: declan () well com From: Hasan Diwan <hdiwan () mac com> Subject: Fwd: [IP] F.B.I.'s Reach Into Records Is Set to Grow Date: Wed, 12 Nov 2003 16:04:19 -0800 Does this make you as worried as it makes me? Begin forwarded message: [...]
Delivered-To: dfarber+ () ux13 sp cs cmu edu Date: Wed, 12 Nov 2003 10:40:18 +0100 From: the terminal of Geoff Goodfellow <geoff () iconia com> Subject: F.B.I.'s Reach Into Records Is Set to Grow To: Dave E-mail Pamphleteer Farber <dave () farber net> F.B.I.'s Reach Into Records Is Set to Grow By ERIC LICHTBLAU The New York Times Published: November 12, 2003 WASHINGTON, Nov. 11 A little-noticed measure approved by both the House and Senate would significantly expand the F.B.I.'s power to demand financial records, without a judge's approval, from car dealers, travel agents, pawnbrokers and many other businesses, officials said on Tuesday. Traditional financial institutions like banks and credit unions are frequently subject to administrative subpoenas from the Federal Bureau of Investigation to produce financial records in terrorism and espionage investigations. Such subpoenas, which are known as national security letters, do not require the bureau to seek a judge's approval before issuing them. The measure now awaiting final approval in Congress would significantly broaden the law to include securities dealers, currency exchanges, car dealers, travel agencies, post offices, casinos, pawnbrokers and any other institution doing cash transactions with "a high degree of usefulness in criminal, tax or regulatory matters." Officials said the measure, which is tucked away in the intelligence community's authorization bill for 2004, gives agents greater flexibility and speed in seeking to trace the financial assets of people suspected of terrorism and espionage. It mirrors a proposal that President Bush outlined in a speech two months ago to expand the use of administrative subpoenas in terrorism cases. --snip-- http://www.nytimes.com/2003/11/12/politics/12RECO.html
_______________________________________________ Politech mailing list Archived at http://www.politechbot.com/ Moderated by Declan McCullagh (http://www.mccullagh.org/)
Current thread:
- FBI may get more power to pry into records [priv] Declan McCullagh (Nov 12)