Obama Administration Wants to Give FBI Access to Personal Internet Activity

A recent report in The Washington Post has revealed that the Obama administration is seeking to make it easier for the FBI to collect information on the personal Internet activities of American citizens without the requirement of a search warrant.

The change, if implemented, would give the executive branch and the FBI increased powers by forcing companies to provide upon request, the records of any individual’s Internet activity without being required to obtain a court order.

According to the Post, the Obama administration will be able to provide information to the FBI if they feel it is important and pertinent to a "terrorism or intelligence investigation." Merely by inserting the words "electronic communication transactional records" to a list of materials that current laws state that the FBI may request without the approval of a judge. This includes personal user Internet web browser activity and the addresses to which an individual sends e-mail. More important is that the request would be secretly obtained and withheld from the individual user.

Unknown to many is that according to government sources, many Internet and e-mail services already provide the government with such data. During his campaign, Obama ran on many issues, including enhancing individual civil liberties. However, this effort may lead to an erosion of individual rights and privacy. In 2007, a published report by the Inspector General’s office revealed that the FBI might have incurred many violations in requesting such data — including the solicitation of information without having an approved investigation to justify the request.

Warrantless surveillance programs are unconstitutional, yet the current administration, following where former President George W. Bush left off, argues that such information is the same or equal to telephone toll billing records, which the FBI can obtain without court authorization. This means that finding out who a person sends an e-mail to or a Facebook friend request is the same as a telephone call.

It would seem as a constitutional law scholar, Obama would understand that the First Amendment protects the personal association information of a citizen.

The question is how this might impact future government legislation. On March 4, 2010, the “Enemy Belligerent Interrogation, Detention, and Prosecution Act of 2010” was introduced by John McCain. This bill, if passed, would eliminate several constitutional protections allowing government to arbitrarily pick up Americans on mere suspicion — with no probable cause. Not to mention, in May of this year, the president gave a speech in which he asked Congress to pass legislation to give the president, power to detain any person in the U.S. that the government deems a “combatant” or likely to engage in a violent act in the future.

How far does the government plan to go invade the private lives of its citizens under the guise of national security? We will have to wait and see, for it seems to reflect what Huxley predicted would happen in a A recent report in The Washington Post has revealed that the Obama administration is seeking to make it easier for the FBI to collect information on the personal Internet activities of American citizens without the requirement of a search warrant.

The change, if implemented, would give the executive branch and the FBI increased powers by forcing companies to provide upon request, the records of any individual’s Internet activity without being required to obtain a court order.

According to the Post, the Obama administration will be able to provide information to the FBI if they feel it is important and pertinent to a "terrorism or intelligence investigation." Merely by inserting the words "electronic communication transactional records" to a list of materials that current laws state that the FBI may request without the approval of a judge. This includes personal user Internet web browser activity and the addresses to which an individual sends e-mail. More important is that the request would be secretly obtained and withheld from the individual user.

Unknown to many is that according to government sources, many Internet and e-mail services already provide the government with such data. During his campaign, Obama ran on many issues, including enhancing individual civil liberties. However, this effort may lead to an erosion of individual rights and privacy. In 2007, a published report by the Inspector General’s office revealed that the FBI might have incurred many violations in requesting such data — including the solicitation of information without having an approved investigation to justify the request.

Warrantless surveillance programs are unconstitutional, yet the current administration, following where former President George W. Bush left off, argues that such information is the same or equal to telephone toll billing records, which the FBI can obtain without court authorization. This means that finding out who a person sends an e-mail to or a Facebook friend request is the same as a telephone call.

It would seem as a constitutional law scholar, Obama would understand that the First Amendment protects the personal association information of a citizen.

The question is how this might impact future government legislation. On March 4, 2010, the “Enemy Belligerent Interrogation, Detention, and Prosecution Act of 2010” was introduced by John McCain. This bill, if passed, would eliminate several constitutional protections allowing government to arbitrarily pick up Americans on mere suspicion — with no probable cause. Not to mention, in May of this year, the president gave a speech in which he asked Congress to pass legislation to give the president, power to detain any person in the U.S. that the government deems a “combatant” or likely to engage in a violent act in the future.

How far does the government plan to go invade the private lives of its citizens under the guise of national security? We will have to wait and see, for it seems to reflect what Huxley predicted would happen in a totalitarian society in his book Brave New World. society in his book Brave New World.

Stupid pet tricks

Got damn revenuers. I tell you, at this rate, I will never run out of stuff to say about our government. I just found out that my tax dollars have gone to file an indictment against the all time home run leader Barry Bonds. A federal grand filed this for perjury and the obstruction of justice lying.

Of all folks, the Federal government have some nerve to call anybody a liar or to accuse anybody of obstructing justice. Last I heard, the filibuster was still used in the hallowed halls of congress. And why, for steriods? From what I have read, this is the result of a four year investigation. Four years – they don’t even take four years to investigate each other (senators and congress persons), or to investigate the fowl-up of FEMA with regards to Katrina, or why the mortgage lending industry has lead to an increase in foreclosures across the country, or why it take 93 cents to make one Canadian dollar, or why the Veternans Hospitals of American can’t provide health care to men and women who serve our country.

Streriods are a marvel of science. The are used every day. In medicine alone, they are prescribed daily to people who do not play sports to assist them with recovering after surgery. Steriods are also extremely useful ( both male and female sex steroids) in mediating or protecting against cardiovascular disease (CVD) and hypertension in some individuals. Anabolic-androgenic steroids are even used for alcoholic liver disease. Why can’t sports figures use them but regular folk like you and me can?

And why Barry Bonds, they didn’t indict Rush Limbaugh for his drug addict behavior of abusing Oxycontin. Shit, I bet half the folks in the legslative, executive and judicial branches of government are taking some prescription medication that is a steriod by the definitions of organic chemisty that learned back at Morehouse. Organic chemistry is the study of the properties of carbon-based compounds that are organic.

Just tell me, who are the members of this Grand Jury and why not make them take drug trest to discern if they using steriods. Why aren’t their names made public? We know that our current President is a recovering achololic and cocaine addict but they don’t indict him, and he running the country, spending more money than we have and sending men and women to die daily in a war over an emotion.

I tell you, is it just me, or is their no pragmatism in government anymore? Im a libertarian, but I feel that George Orwell when he penned 1984 and Aldous Huxley when he wrote Brave New World may have been right. You think Ray Bradbery will be next, I man wil they start burning books like they did in Fahrenhiet 451? Or is this a replication of an old David Letterman skit called “Stupid Pet Tricks?” If so can we put folks like this to sleep? Just a question.