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PATRIOT Act

The USA PATRIOT Act broadly expands law enforcement's surveillance and investigative powers and represents one of the most significant threats to civil liberties, privacy, and democratic traditions in US history.

What is PATRIOT?

The USA PATRIOT Act (officially the Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act) was quickly developed as anti-terrorism legislation in response to the September 11, 2001 attacks. The large and complex law received little Congressional oversight and debate and was signed into law by President George W. Bush on October 26, 2001. PATRIOT gives sweeping search and surveillance to domestic law enforcement and foreign intelligence agencies and eliminates checks and balances that previously gave courts the opportunity to ensure that those powers were not abused. PATRIOT and follow-up legislation now in development threaten the basic rights of millions of Americans.

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EFF Related Content: PATRIOT Act

Deeplinks Blog byMatthew Guariglia | August 20, 2019

Don't Renew Section 215 Indefinitely

The New York Times reported that the Trump administration wants Section 215, the legal authority that allows the National Security Agency to collect Americans’ telephone records, renewed indefinitely. That’s despite earlier reports the NSA had shuttered its Call Details Record (CDR) Program because it ran afoul of... ●Read more about Don't Renew Section 215 Indefinitely

Deeplinks Blog byElliot Harmon | April 24, 2019

End the NSA's Invasive Call Detail Records Program Once and for All

Over nearly two decades, the NSA has searched millions of Americans’ telephone call records—all without a warrant or, for the vast majority of these calls, any suspicion of wrongdoing. It’s time to end the mass telephone Call Detail Records (CDR) program once and for all. Please join us in ... ●Read more about End the NSA's Invasive Call Detail Records Program Once and for All

Deeplinks Blog byAndrew Crocker | March 21, 2019

Congress Has a Chance to Finally End the NSA’s Mass Telephone Records Program

Earlier this month, the New York Times published a major story reporting that the NSA has stopped using the authority to run its massive, ongoing surveillance of Americans’ telephone records. After years of fighting mass surveillance of telephone records, the story may make our jobs easier: NSA has consistently... ●Read more about Congress Has a Chance to Finally End the NSA’s Mass Telephone Records Program

Document | November 26, 2018

Section 215 of the Patriot Act - Background and Questions

Section 215 of the USA PATRIOT Act sunsets on December 15, 2019 (in addition to two other PATRIOT Act provisions). Before lawmakers can decide whether to allow this provision to sunset entirely, to reauthorize the programs without changes, or to include reforms along with reauthorization,... ●Read more about Section 215 of the Patriot Act - Background and Questions

Deeplinks Blog by David Ruiz | September 5, 2018

The NSA Continues to Blame Technology for Breaking the Law

UPDATE September 14, 2018: This blog has been updated at the bottom to include information about two Senators’ reactions to the NSA’s call detail record deletion.In late June, the NSA announced a magic trick—hundreds of millions of collected call records would disappear. Its lovely assistant? Straight from the agency’s statement:... ●Read more about The NSA Continues to Blame Technology for Breaking the Law

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