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The FBI and the Department of Justice are trying to put through a "small rule change" about how warrants that would have a big effect. The Justice Department is using an obscure rule of federal criminal procedure – called Rule 41 – to sneak this expansion through. Right now, when an FBI agent wants to hack computers of potential suspects or innocent victims of malware attacks, it has to get a warrant from a judge where the crime occurred. That gives government hacking clear judicial oversight to make sure our Fourth Amendment rights aren’t violated and stops the FBI from hacking whomever it wants. But if the DOJ’s “small change” goes through, the FBI can shop around until it finds the right judge to sign just one warrant to hack any computers related to their case. That could mean hacking millions of computers all over the world with just one warrant. And Congress hasn’t even held a public hearing to debate this expansion of government hacking and its potential consequences for the American people!
Senator Ron Wyden of Oregon is trying to stop this with a bill called the Stopping Mass Hacking Act (S.2952). This wouldn't stop it completely, but it would require Congress to actually talk about it before letting it pass. You know the drill. If computer security and government snooping are important to you, please call your congresscritter and talk to them about it. http://www.senate.gov/senators/contact/ and http://www.house.gov/representatives/find/
Here's a handy script:
I believe that the federal government already has too much ability to pry into the lives of US citizens and spy on them. The Department of Justice is trying to greatly expand that with a change to their rules for warrants, so that they can hack large numbers of private citizens on suspicion that they may be related, without needing to justify each hack. This is unlawful search and seizure. Congress should stop this, or at least talk about it before letting it go through. Please support the Stopping Mass Hacking Act bill, so that Congress and the rest of America can talk about what judicial oversight is appropriate to protect Americans from over-zealous government hacking.
Senator Ron Wyden of Oregon is trying to stop this with a bill called the Stopping Mass Hacking Act (S.2952). This wouldn't stop it completely, but it would require Congress to actually talk about it before letting it pass. You know the drill. If computer security and government snooping are important to you, please call your congresscritter and talk to them about it. http://www.senate.gov/senators/contact/ and http://www.house.gov/representatives/find/
Here's a handy script:
I believe that the federal government already has too much ability to pry into the lives of US citizens and spy on them. The Department of Justice is trying to greatly expand that with a change to their rules for warrants, so that they can hack large numbers of private citizens on suspicion that they may be related, without needing to justify each hack. This is unlawful search and seizure. Congress should stop this, or at least talk about it before letting it go through. Please support the Stopping Mass Hacking Act bill, so that Congress and the rest of America can talk about what judicial oversight is appropriate to protect Americans from over-zealous government hacking.
no subject
Date: 2016-11-21 08:33 pm (UTC)From:no subject
Date: 2016-11-21 09:12 pm (UTC)From:Or you can get stuff from Wyden's web page, he's been talking about it for a while. And I think there's an online petition somewhere?
no subject
Date: 2016-11-21 08:45 pm (UTC)From:no subject
Date: 2016-11-21 09:12 pm (UTC)From:no subject
Date: 2016-11-22 07:11 am (UTC)From:(I have not always been a huge fan of Merkley, but he's also doing God's work right now.)