A digital privacy watchdog group has filed suit against the Department of Justice in an attempt to make public new FBI surveillance rules that allow the bureau to spy on Americans even without any suspicion of terrorist activities.
The Electronic Frontier Foundation has been tracking the FBI’s new surveillance rules, in effect since late last year, which broadly expand the bureau’s ability to use surveillance methods previously limited only to terrorism investigations.
Now, the group has filed a lawsuit against the Department of Justice, asking the government to “detail the Bureau’s procedures and standards for implementing the Attorney General’s Guidelines on approved surveillance strategies.”
In the waning months of the Bush administration, the Justice Department “released new guidelines … that empower FBI agents to use intrusive techniques to gather intelligence within the United States, alarming civil liberties groups and Democratic lawmakers who worry that they invite privacy violations and other abuses,” the Washington Post reported last year.
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“The new road map allows investigators to recruit informants, employ physical surveillance and conduct interviews in which agents disguise their identities in an effort to assess national security threats,” the article continued. “FBI agents could pursue each of those steps without any single fact indicating a person has ties to a terrorist organization.”
“The Attorney General’s Guidelines are troubling, allowing for open investigative ‘assessments’ of any American without factual basis or reasonable suspicion,” EFF lawyer David Sobel said in a statement. “The withholding of the Operational Guidelines compounds our concerns. Americans have the right to know the basic surveillance policies used by federal investigators and how their privacy is — or is not — being protected.”
The EFF says it filed the lawsuit after the Justice Department failed to respond to a Freedom of Information request.
“These policies have been in effect for more than six months and could have great impact on ordinary Americans’ lives,” said Sobel. “The FBI must follow the law and release these guidelines to the public.”
The FBI has a long and storied history of spying on activist organizations, civil rights groups and other “subversives” going back to the era of J. Edgar Hoover. During the Bush administration, watchdog groups and activists alleged the FBI was using its expanded powers under the USA Patriot Act to spy on and infiltrate peaceful political and social movements.
June 25th, 2009 at 4:55 am
Nobody should be trusted,not even yourself,aka,Manchurian Candidate.
reconmarine Reply:
June 25th, 2009 at 9:22 am
This is so telling of the times we live in……
When the FBI has to disclose what tools they have to do surveillance, mothers of America have won………..
Why don’t they just write a paper entitled “here is how to avoid the FBI if you are doing illegal shit”.
I'm So Bored With The U-S-A Reply:
June 25th, 2009 at 9:37 am
Yeah, when the FBI has to obey the law, what have we come to?
Joe Reply:
June 26th, 2009 at 1:33 pm
Silly man, the laws are for the rest of us, not the government or military. Right, recon?
nader paul kucinich gravel Reply:
June 25th, 2009 at 10:09 am
The wannabe reconmarine troll!
Homeland Gestapo in a Police State ~
The Bankers will clean up after the AIPAC 911 cover up.
getrealfakemarine Reply:
June 25th, 2009 at 12:38 pm
I guess you can’t read troll or just don’t understand the founding principles of the USA. I suspect you are just another communist bastard. The question isn’t about how the FBI spies on aliens who are suspected to be spies after receiving a search warrant. It is about the broad sweeping spying on Americans violating all the principles of our founding fathers. The Federal Government has a few jobs, like protecting our privacy not violating it.
Go back to the USSR Comrade Fake Marine.
moral Reply:
June 26th, 2009 at 3:40 am
troops on our streets?? you decide http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1rhiQpnbeiQ
blobfromslob Reply:
June 26th, 2009 at 2:57 am
Hell look and see what people in UK have to put up with http://www.youtube.com/watch?v.....annel_page The reality is war against humanity is being prepped.. I dont think it’s gonna work to be honest ..
June 25th, 2009 at 5:48 am
I don’t trust my poodle anymore.
I feed him everyday and yet i have this feeling he is working for the russians.
I know he is just a dog but you never know he could be trained to take pitures with an eye implant or he may even have a bugging device in his ears.
Another weird thing ,he does not hate cats.
That tells me cats may be in on spying for some other country.
Stray cats placed on US soil to wander here and there and report back to china maybe.
Hmmmmmmm.
pro freedom Reply:
June 25th, 2009 at 7:24 am
lol, there is a microphone and a gps tracker embeded in those chips they put in the puppies.
June 25th, 2009 at 8:01 am
What a bunch of overgrown peeping toms. I gotta take a sh@t, is that allright goverment man?
June 25th, 2009 at 8:27 am
and of course government judges will exonerate the government as usual
Billy Antonyms Reply:
June 25th, 2009 at 8:57 am
Your right “LRRP”, look at that kook “Judge” Clarence Thomas. Protecting his goon (police) buddies, saying it’s “O.K” to beat-up on handcuffed prisoners. Well it isn’t “O.K”.
June 25th, 2009 at 11:25 am
Can’t we just stop pretending that were perfect and that we don’t need police… None of it is true. Do you even know why you’re here? Let me guess, you’re a white American. Let me guess, you never knew the founding fathers were slave owners and war profiteers, did you. Let me guess, you never knew we have over 130 military bases in Saudi Arabia.. Let me guess, you live off your Mommy and Daddy, you have your whole life, you smoke cigarettes, and drink, and think you’re smart and cool cause you drive a nice car and live in a nice house your parents bought. Guess what, you are nothing. Welcome to America. Oh and by the way, the freedoms you enjoy, don’t let the indian burial ground sites get in your way, those people needed to be culled.
Billy Antonyms Reply:
June 25th, 2009 at 1:40 pm
No “piestrak”, I know were not perfect, and I know that we don’t need cops to torture, rape and murder helpless prisoners. Yes I’m white. Yes, I really don’t care how many base’s are in Saudi Arabia, as far as I’m concerned they can have their blood oil and sand dunes. No, I don’t mooch off my “Mommie and Daddie”. My father died three years ago and is proudly buried at Arlington National Cemertery. No, I don’t have a car. No, I don’t smoke cigarettes. Yes, I’m not responsible for the sins of the world and the indians haven’t been the only people to be victimized by violence. Looks like you got some of that ‘pie’ in your eye. Because I am something, are you?
Billy Antonyms Reply:
June 25th, 2009 at 1:43 pm
And oh yeah, I’m not some moon faced yuppie whining about the price of gas. I do care for my elderly mother in the house my father built. Whats it to you?
June 25th, 2009 at 11:27 am
Stripping away our freedoms one right at a time! How are you defending your freedom?!
http://www.warnthepeople.org/be-prepared.html
June 25th, 2009 at 12:21 pm
haha i dunno if this is the right link for the IRS thing but i have to say this. The leader of the IRS never even paid taxes!!! Geitner is the most corrupt bastard in government at this time!!! He use to be the CEO of the NY FED and he is telling people to put there money into the FED which he has shares in, plus he wants to give the FED unlimited power!! Our government is no longer a government it is a business being run by the elite’s and the corrupt!! the only thing they have in mind is to make as much money as they can and kill as many of us as they can. Open your eyes America our freedoms are being taken away right in fornt of our noses!!! Wake up and Save this great Country!!
June 25th, 2009 at 3:29 pm
Depressed banker missing, with two shotguns.
http://twitter.com/AutonomistVoice
June 25th, 2009 at 5:46 pm
to view a partial list of crimes committed by FBI agents over 1500 pages long see
http://www.forums.signonsandie.....hp?t=59139
to view a partial list of FBI agents arrested for pedophilia see
http://www.dallasnews.com/foru.....php?t=3574