PATRIOT Act Surveillance Use Out of Control

The National Intelligence Office in the Obama administration has told two US Senate Democrats that they are not able to count the number of people that have had their telephone or email communications monitored under the provisions of the PATRIOT Act.

This response came as several US lawmakers have expressed concerns over whether the Act was being interpreted reasonably and implemented as it was intended to.  The greatest concerns have been that law-abiding American citizens were being surveilled unnecessarily and that the secret court involved in deciding where to grant warrants is unchecked and unaccountable to Congress or voters.

The provisions of the Act were due to expire in May before the President extended them a further four years hours before they were due to expire.   The provisions pertain to ‘roving wiretaps,’ allowing authorities to monitor more than one mobile device in relation to a person of interest, and also to accessing library and business records of suspected terrorists or terrorist sympathisers.

In the political climate today, fear of terror threats runs deep and members of the public should be protected.  There is, however, a duty to protect the rights of law abiding citizens against intrusion and to protect their rights.  This uncontrolled use of surveillance laws by the US government is shameful and a gross misinterpretations of the powers of government.

Benjamin Franklin made an excellent point when he said that “They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety.”