No Warrant Required: The G Knows Everything About You

… by law, utilities must hand over customer records — which include any billing and payment information, phone numbers and power consumption data — to the DEA without court warrants if drug agents believe the data is “relevant” to an investigation. So the utility eventually complied, after losing a legal fight earlier this month.

Meet the administrative subpoena (.pdf): With a federal official’s signature, banks, hospitals, bookstores, telecommunications companies and even utilities and internet service providers — virtually all businesses — are required to hand over sensitive data on individuals or corporations, as long as a government agent declares the information is relevant to an investigation. Via a wide range of laws, Congress has authorized the government to bypass the Fourth Amendment — the constitutional guard against unreasonable searches and seizures that requires a probable-cause warrant signed by a judge.

In fact, there are roughly 335 federal statutes on the books (.pdf) passed by Congress giving dozens upon dozens of federal agencies the power of the administrative subpoena, according to interviews and government reports. (.pdf)  …

With the data the Alaska utility handed over, the DEA may then use further administrative subpoenas to acquire the suspected indoor-dope growers’ phone records, stored e-mails, and perhaps credit-card purchasing histories — all to build a case to acquire a probable-cause warrant to physically search their homes and businesses.

via Wired.com.

It’s out of control.

A rebellion is coming.

Senate bill rewrite lets feds read your e-mail without warrants | Politics and Law – CNET News

A Senate proposal touted as protecting Americans’ e-mail privacy has been quietly rewritten, giving government agencies more surveillance power than they possess under current law.

CNET has learned that Patrick Leahy, the influential Democratic chairman of the Senate Judiciary committee, has dramatically reshaped his legislation in response to law enforcement concerns. A vote on his bill, which now authorizes warrantless access to Americans’ e-mail, is scheduled for next week.

via CNET News.

Very sad.

Gov. Can Plant Hidden Cameras In Your Home

This government, our government, a supposedly moderate government of Barack Obama (he has an iPad and a Spotify playlist and likes dogs and is funny on Jay Leno! He must be moderate!) is now claiming the legal right to install surveillance cameras in your home or on your property without a warrant. And is doing so, in some cases.

If they hate us for our freedoms over in Pakistan or wherever, I’m pretty certain the hatred will dry up soon, because this is not freedom. As CNET reported, “Police are allowed in some circumstances to install hidden surveillance cameras on private property without obtaining a search warrant, a federal judge said yesterday.”

The government has evidently lost its mind, as have our federal judges.

via Business Insider.

Clear 4th Amendment Violation.  Need to get these cases up to the U.S. Supreme Court as soon as possible.

I love this author’s taken on the matter.  It’s clear that we’re not hated for our freedoms.  We have so few left.  We have sold our liberty for the illusion of security and now have neither.

Very sad.