Feds Get New Snooping Powers
Surveillance court grants greater scope in search of terrorist activity; privacy issues raised.
Scarlet Pruitt

“A secret U.S. federal appeals court has granted law enforcement officials expanded domestic spying powers, allowing them to conduct a broad range of electronic surveillance including Internet monitoring and keystroke logging to track terrorism suspects.”

The decision, released earlier this week, overturned a previous ruling by the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court (FISC) last May. That decision rejected the U.S. government’s efforts to expand its domestic snooping authority.

Secret U.S. court OKs electronic spying
By Declan McCullagh

“update WASHINGTON–A secretive federal court on Monday granted police broad authority to monitor Internet use, record keystrokes and employ other surveillance methods against terror and espionage suspects.”

In an unexpected and near-complete victory for law enforcement, the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court of Review overturned a lower court’s decision and said that Attorney General John Ashcroft’s request for new powers was reasonable.