FBI Database Tracks Hotel Reservations, Car Rentals

Agency now has more freedom to search trash

(NEWSER) - A new FBI manual makes it easier for agents to check databases, send out surveillance teams, and rifle through people's trash—often as part of a kind of investigation that gives agents the OK to look into people without having solid evidence that they are involved in terrorist or criminal activity. Among the changes to the Domestic Investigations and Operations Guide: FBI agents will be allowed to probe law enforcement and commercial databases without opening a formal inquiry first, as they must do now. They’ll be able to run lie-detector tests and search trash without initiating a “preliminary investigation”—a move that requires suspicion grounded in facts—if they're evaluating a target as a possible informant. More»

Bill seeks to expand government's wiretapping power

(NEWSER) - The feds want to overhaul wiretapping regulations to expand their ability to eavesdrop online, reports the New York Times . The Obama administration plans to submit a bill to Congress next year that would require all service providers to be technically capable of wiretapping the communications they enable, from encrypted BlackBerry emails to Skype messaging. Law enforcement types say their surveillance capabilities are "going dark" as everybody—from mob bosses to drug cartels—turns away from telephones. More»

Online advocates want new policies rolled back

(NEWSER) - Facebook's new privacy settings are the subject of a complaint filed to the FTC. The social-networking site's latest revamp makes it harder to shield information and photos from the general Facebook public. That hasn't sat well with 10 privacy groups, who filed the complaint in order to compel the site to make the information private again. More»

People are unfairly targeted, complain Muslim groups

(NEWSER) - The FBI has been given far too much leeway to gather information on individuals and groups, charge Muslim and civil liberties organizations. Guidelines in a newly disclosed FBI manual allow the bureau to probe people or organizations without any factual evidence against them. Agents are given broad powers to proactively seek information and to use race and religion as factors in choosing whom to monitor, reports the New York Times . More»

Some ways to get more out of your miles

(NEWSER) - You sat in plenty of stuffy cabins to earn those frequent-flier miles: make sure you get a good trip out of them. Travel and Leisure runs down the best ways to earn miles and use them efficiently.

1. Stick with one airline: The more you commit to a single airline, the better you'll be treated and the more miles you'll accumulate.
2. Eat more, drive more: Rental car companies such as Hertz double the miles of some airline customers, and participating restaurants also offer such benefits.
3. Ditch the mouse for the receiver: Booking a ticket by calling an airline agent can help you use your miles more efficiently than online booking.