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Foreign Intelligence Act Pros And Cons

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The Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act allows intelligence department to decide which court they will go to seek orders to search. This may translate to mean some judges are compromised, and they will be used to issue illegal search warrants even for domestic surveillance. The courts are never made public which raises suspicion whether the security officers searching do even go for a search warrant. This might just be a plan to make sure the security officers do not attract a lot of o attention by saying that they will not need a search warrant. Even if they access a person's private information without a search warrant, no court can be used to compel them to provide evidence on whether the search was conducted as per a specific procedure. …show more content…

The executives can use the Foreign Surveillance Intelligence Act to investigate and intimidate those who are against some of their policies. Restricting checks and balances act to the disadvantage of the citizens because the executive can do anything despite the fact that the executives are usually tempted to use the intelligence service to gain information about civil rights activists, civil right groups and they may violate constitutional processes and rights to satisfy their selfish interest. Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act eliminates the laws that would help the public ask questions as to why the government is doing certain things that are against their wish or when they are violating certain rights. The public can have the power to seek clarification from the government when they can cite a specific law that the government has violated. But without the laws, when the public has any issue they want to be addressed they can only go for civil actions to compel the government to listen to them. FISA has eliminated even the most sought-after institution which gives justice to the public when the government has gone against their will or violates their rights which is the judiciary. Although there is Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court, the way the process is conducted leaves it under full control of the Department of Homeland Security. Government …show more content…

But when the executive decides to have all the controls and make interaction with the judiciary secret, citizens are left exposed to mistreatment by the executives because nobody will have the power to hold the executive responsible for their actions. An individual or a group of a few citizens cannot force the government to be accountable for their actions without the help of the judiciary. When people are affected individually, it becomes hard for them to unite and form a force that will attract national attention. Even if they report to the media houses, the media will only highlight the challenge, and with time it will be forgotten. Therefore, Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act has removed the powers of anybody that may be interested in holding them accountable for specific actions because now they have the power to gather intelligence secretly without making a person know they are under

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This act increased the federal powers imposed on the citizens in order to help their efforts towards investigating terrorists. These powers included telephone taps, internet taps, voice mail, grand jury information, immigration, money laundering, and crime. While these powers made it easier for the government to track down possible suspects of terrorism, it interfered with the people’s right to privacy. All the provisions under the Patriot Act can be used on the citizens with the approval of a court order. Furthermore, it interfered with the Fourth Amendment.

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253 Words | 2 Pages

Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) allows the United States government to gather foreign intelligence information concerning persons located outside of the country that are, or are connected to, a potential threat against the nation. In addition to protecting national security, the communications data collected under Section 702 has been used for criminal prosecution in domestic court cases. Since it passed in 2008, scholars have raised questions over the act’s constitutionality, especially about its consistence with the Fourth Amendment which protects both US and non-US persons against unreasonable searches and seizures. These scholars argue that not all communications gathered under Section 702 meet the reasonableness requirement of the Fourth Amendment and should therefore not be used in criminal cases. However, Section 702 mainly conflicts with the Constitution only when the act is used inappropriately by agencies to investigate people residing within the US rather than for its intended purpose of gathering foreign intelligence.

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Recently, the edict has been amended to allow even more credentials to these bureaus. Intelligence organizations can now conduct surveillance operations on foreign agents, foreign countries, and even American citizens, unprecedentedly violating the right to privacy guaranteed by the

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It is far more dangerous to attempt to gag the people than to allow them to speak freely. If the Espionage Law stands, then the Constitution of the United States is dead. American institutions are on trial here before a court of American citizens. The future will render the final verdict (Foner, Voices of Freedom, Document

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255 Words | 2 Pages

Due to the enactment of the The Patriot Act back in 2001 after the 9/11 attacks, the United States has felt its effect on their right to privacy. Many believe that the US has taken advantage of the act to spy on innocent Americans rather than actually gathering information on terrorists. Certain methods are used such as eavesdropping on phone calls, The Prism Program which contains vital information of americans across the internet. A bulk database of phone numbers etc, The Patriot Act does have its positive aspects in certain areas except privacy. However, it also comes with its cons as well.

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953 Words | 4 Pages

The moment that the Twin Towers fell in New York, America became destined for change. In the wake of these attacks, the USA PATRIOT Act of 2001 was quickly passed through congress, and signed by then-president, George W. Bush. The act itself gives the FBI and other government agencies the ability to do and use certain methods, many of which are already used by other law enforcement organizations, to help prevent future terrorist attacks. Since then, this piece of legislation has been the center of much debate and controversy. But, there is ample reason to believe that the Patriot Act is needed and effective.

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146 Words | 1 Pages

In conclusion, the USA Patriot Act has long enabled law enforcement to remain above the rules and regulations of the United States legislature. It has resulted in distrust of the American people towards their enforcing bureaucracy. The citizens of the United States have lost their civil rights and have been treated as criminals in penalty of an unknown crime. For too long, police have been able to abuse their power. The Patriot Act has destroyed the public opinion of law enforcement due to technological advances and information collection.

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855 Words | 4 Pages

Not only does the act jeapordize these rights of citizens, but also fringes upon individual rights to privacy. At first, the government’s primary focus for the use of the act was only to protect the country from terrorists on American soil as well as future acts of terrorism that may ensue, but now, the government has used their unruly power to convict criminals who have virtually no relation to terrorism whatsoever which is clear example of governmental abuse of power. Another aspect of the Patriot Act which brings forth public fear is the fact that any individual can be kept an eye on and surveillanced. In order to obtain personal information of individuals, National Security Letters (NSL’s) are issued to federal agents without a judge’s approval. To make things worse, information acquired through NSL’s on completely innocent individuals can be kept and stored as opposed to being thrown out--a clear violation of right to privacy.

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971 Words | 4 Pages

The USA Patriot Act allowed the government to watch people through the internet, their phone conversations, and via satellites. The reason for this act was to make sure the government had a form of surveillance so there wouldn’t be another terrorist attack. President Bush was very excited to have this act passed because he thought that it would help intelligence operations and anti-criminal operations the chance to trade information to catch any possible terrorists. Nick Anderson, a cartoonist for Washington Post, believed that the government was throwing out the Constitutional ways to make this act a new law. Mary Jo White, a former U.S. Attorney from the southern district of New York, believed that this act was a good one to have but thought that if the right to privacy was taken away it would never be given back.

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Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act allows U.S. intelligence agencies to acquire foreign intelligence information by monitoring foreign persons in the USA and abroad. This act ensures that intelligence agencies can respond in time to terminate a security threat. The most important part of this act, the Section 702 forbids deliberate monitoring of US citizens and their communication. Technically NSA has been violating this act ever since it has been enacted in 2008 because, as we know, they have been monitoring all US citizenry.

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806 Words | 4 Pages

Many Americans have no problem questioning their government and it laws everyday but what would you think if you knew that the government can see everything you do? In the short story by Mike Kubic, he states that many Americans are questioning the Patriot Act and what it is used for. Most people want their privacy and the Act can be invasive at times but only if the government suspects suspicious behavior. In the short article, “The PATRIOT Act: Protection over Privacy”, by Mike Kubic correctly argues why the PATRIOT Act should not be repealed by explaining everything the FBI has to go through to get the information, what information the government actually can access, and how many citizens feel about the Act.

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644 Words | 3 Pages

September 11, 2001, was a day in which the United States of America would change forever, and our recovery from the attacks would determine our nation's future. After the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center in New York on that cataclysmic day, the President of the United States quickly searched for an outlet to limit these particular issues. In return, the outlet that President Bush would later resort to, became known in American history as the Patriot Act. To inform readers, "The Patriot Act is a 10-letter acronym that stands for the Uniting and Strengthening of America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act of 2001" (Source 1). Any law enforcement officials can and will bypass a U.S. citizen's fourth amendment protections against unreasonable search and seizures.

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“The Patriot Act broadly undermines the rights of all Americans. It reduces judicial oversight of a host of investigative measures, including wiretaps, expands the government 's ability to track individuals ' Internet use and gives federal officials expansive new powers that are in no way limited to investigating terrorist crimes. ( thenation) It authorizes an end run around the Fourth Amendment by allowing the government to conduct wiretaps and searches in criminal investigations, without probable cause of a crime, as long as the government claims that it also seeks to gather foreign intelligence--an authority that is particularly questionable in light of recent disclosures from the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court that the FBI has

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Removing life will condemn woman physically and mentally, for eternity. Abortion has been legalized in the United States, but has to occur before one to twelve weeks of the embryo. This decision can only take place if the mother, who is carrying the child, obtains full consent of the action. Although abortion devalues and damages the figure of a woman in many ways, Congress should not control the actions of a woman.   Women have been seen as an important figure in society.

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