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Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978 Amendment - technical definition
(legal term)
After the September 11 attacks, U.S. Senator Mike DeWine, R-OH, introduced a
bill on June 20, 2002, to change the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of
1978 in such a way as to lower the standard of proof for issuing orders against
non-U.S. persons from “probable cause” to “reasonable suspicion.” In July 2002,
hearings were held at the U.S. Senate Subcommittee on Intelligence.
In 2004, the number of court-supported wiretaps in the United States increased by a significant 19%, all for tech-savvy criminals with nonterrorist-related concerns. In fact, all 1,507 wiretaps requested by authorities were allowed. Of these, about 90% were issued for wiretapping cell phones and pagers. For 2004, the court orders allowed under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act for terrorist-related concerns was a record 1,754 warrants.
See Also: Intelligence.
Center for Democracy and Technology. Legislation Affecting the Internet.
[Online, July 28, 2004.] Center for Democracy and Technology Website.
http://www.cdt.org/
legislation/107th/
wiretaps/; In Brief. U.S. Wiretap Numbers Soar As Suspects Get Tech-Savvy. The Globe and Mail, May 5, 2005, p.
B25.