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Obama Moves to Boost FBI Access to Internet Records

Critics say move is fed power grab

By Rob Quinn,  Newser Staff

Posted Jul 29, 2010 4:19 AM CDT
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(Newser) – The Obama administration is trying to make it easier for the FBI to obtain records of people's Internet usage without a court order. Adding "electronic communication transactional records" to the list of items the FBI can demand without court approval would allow the bureau to access the email addresses of correspondents of investigated targets, as well as the times and dates emails are received—but not the actual contents of email.

Federal officials say the move is merely to clear up ambiguity in the law, but privacy advocates and lawyers for Internet firms call it a power grab, the Washington Post reports. "You're bringing a big category of data—records reflecting who someone is communicating with in the digital world, Web browsing history and potentially location information—outside of judicial review," warned a former Justice Department lawyer who now works for Internet companies..

The seal of the FBI hangs in the Flag Room at the bureau's headquarters.
The seal of the FBI hangs in the Flag Room at the bureau's headquarters.   (Getty Images)
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It'll be faster and easier to get the data. And for some Internet providers, it'll mean giving a lot more information to the FBI.
- Former Homeland Security official
Stewart A. Baker

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COMMENTS
Showing 3 of 52 comments
Ma'at
Jul 30, 2010 4:04 PM CDT
George Bush III for sure.
Misha
Jul 30, 2010 1:32 AM CDT
Obama is just so so GONE after 2012, so in some ways it doesn't matter what the lying fuck wants or proposes. The only bad thing is that the person who replaces Obama will have to be a republican, and thus obviously not any better than Obama on these issues (such as internet privacy). But that said, I will still take a great deal of personal satisfaction when the giant hook comes and forcibly removes the black-faced clown from the stage in January of 2013.
Ma'at
Jul 30, 2010 1:01 AM CDT
The amusing thing is that Right wingers are SO f*** stupid to believe Obama is some sort of extreme liberal. Obama is more Right Wing than Bush's wet dream. Oh, like Bush before him, he tosses a few crumbs to the base, but this base can't be bought. We won't vote for Obama. Let the Righties have it and destroy America so we can move on from the ashes.

 
Internet • FBI • domestic surveillance • counterterrorism • Internet service providers • Obama administration

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