Friday, March 29, 2024

Details of FBI’s National Security Letter revealed for the first time

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The FBI has been secretly tracking user information without judicial oversight since 2001. Ever since the Patriot Act’s controversial expansion of the Bureau’s authority, tens of thousands of National Security Letters (NSLs) have been issued every year without warrants or evidence of probable cause. The content of these letters, accompanied by a gag order that prevents the recipient from ever talking about the information demanded, have stayed under wraps until now. In a recent landmark ruling from the federal district court, a gag order imposed on Nicholas Merrill, owner of an Internet service provider, has been lifted in full for the first time. Even though the court’s ruling invalidated the FBI’s gag order in September, following procedures the contents of the NSL only became public this week.

Source: The Hill

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