General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: Wow! Look at how "hysterical" and "poutraged" all of DU USED to be... [View all]leveymg
(36,418 posts)Last edited Mon Jun 10, 2013, 10:32 AM - Edit history (1)
Even the Bush Justice Department opposed reducing the standard for FISA warrants down to a reasonable suspicion. The standard actually applied now isn't even that lesser test because the 2008 FISA Amendment Act permits "driftnet" warrants that are issued for collection of all the data from any collection source if only one person on that network is suspected of international communications furthering espionage or terrorism. That renders the whole concept of warrants meaningless.
We need to revive the rule of law, which requires individualized targeting and retention. The NSA can still collect, but the rest of the data needs to be minimized, as it was previously.
If the agency wants to collect and take action beyond a warrant, it may prove exigent circumstances in certain cases, and that's fine. But, NSA is treating all circumstances as exigent which defeats the purpose of warrants and the Fourth Amendment.