Well, it’s not that bad, but it’s getting there, and if National Intelligence Director Mike McConnell has his way, we’ll be even closer. He’s circulating a draft bill to loosen up the FISA process. From the article:
According to officials familiar with the draft changes to FISA, McConnell wants to:
_Give the NSA the power to monitor foreigners without seeking FISA court approval, even if the surveillance is conducted by tapping phones and e-mail accounts in the United States.
“Determinations about whether a court order is required should be based on considerations about the target of the surveillance, rather than the particular means of communication or the location from which the surveillance is being conducted,” NSA Director Keith Alexander told the Senate last year.
_Clarify the standards the FBI and NSA must use to get court orders for basic information about calls and e-mails — such as the number dialed, e-mail address, or time and date of the communications. Civil liberties advocates contend the change will make it too easy for the government to access this information.
_Triple the life span of a FISA warrant for a non-U.S. citizen from 120 days to one year, allowing the government to monitor much longer without checking back in with a judge.
_Give telecommunications companies immunity from civil liability for their cooperation with Bush’s terrorist surveillance program. Pending lawsuits against companies including Verizon and AT&T allege they violated privacy laws by giving phone records to the NSA for the program.
_Extend from 72 hours to one week the amount of time the government can conduct surveillance without a court order in emergencies.
We used to joke about the ECHELON project from years ago, but this is truly a new low. It’s said that it’s for our own good in fighting the War on Terra, and the government will insure that the rights of U.S. citizens will not be trampled, but after the past 6 years, I don’t trust the Bush administration and I don’t buy it. Canada’s looking better all the time.