NationStates Jolt Archive

It's a victory for personal privacy in the US. Linky (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6131670/)

NEW YORK - A federal judge Wednesday found unconstitutional a part of the United States' anti-terror Patriot Act that allows authorities to demand customer records from businesses without court approval.

U.S. District Judge Victor Marreo ruled in favor of the American Civil Liberties Union, which challenged the power the FBI has to demand confidential financial records from companies as part of terrorism investigations.

The bolded bit is the important part. Authorities can still get customer records from businesses as part of an investigation. They just have to have enough cause that a judge will sign off on a warrant for the records to be released. A small victory in the battle over personal privacy, but a victory nonetheless.

Oh come on. Nobody has anything to say to this news?

BRAVO!!!!
I knew we had some good judges stashed away somewhere...

Now if we can just get rid of the rest of the Patriot Act....

Yay!

::claps::

I always wondered what good going around getting a signed warrant did. Not like they dont have corrupt judges that will sign anythign they are asked anyway. But it is still good to have a little oversight on teh FBI and stuff eh?

I always wondered what good going around getting a signed warrant did. Not like they dont have corrupt judges that will sign anythign they are asked anyway. But it is still good to have a little oversight on teh FBI and stuff eh?It's a very good thing. While this was in effect, the authorities had the capability to simply ask for the information and companies had to give it up. There was no need for probable cause, no need for a warrant, and no way for either the company or the person to whom the information belonged to fight it. I'm glad to see it happened.

me too.. all I am saying is that they can probably get any of this information anyway but it will just take a bit longer because there are probably few judges that wont sign a warrant when asked. Plus I doubt they always do everything by the law anyway, but thats just me.

Hallelujah. Hope this kind of thing comes up in the debates, but probably won't ...

Federal judges have already rejected some parts of the Patriot Act - unfortunately our lawmakers are not smart enough to repeal the damn thing.