You know, it's not like they can't get them whenever they want, and it doesn't even take much time to get them rubber stamped. Alas, the FISA court occasionally asked questions and demonstrated some rudimentary oversight, so the process became something to skip altogether. As long as it's done incrementally and has a hint of national security, Americans will cede their privacy freely. Here we have the latest disclosure:
Feds Warrantlessly Tracking Americans’ Credit Cards in Real Time Federal law enforcement agencies have been tracking Americans in real-time using credit cards, loyalty cards and travel reservations without getting a court order, a new document released under a government sunshine request shows.
The document, obtained by security researcher Christopher Soghoian, explains how so-called “Hotwatch” orders allow for real-time tracking of individuals in a criminal investigation via credit card companies, rental car agencies, calling cards, and even grocery store loyalty programs. The revelation sheds a little more light on the Justice Department’s increasing power and willingness to surveil Americans with little to no judicial or Congressional oversight.
For credit cards, agents can get real-time information on a person’s purchases by writing their own subpoena, followed up by a order from a judge that the surveillance not be disclosed. Agents can also go the traditional route — going to a judge, proving probable cause and getting a search warrant — which means the target will eventually be notified they were spied on.
The document suggests that the normal practice is to ask for all historical records on an account or individual from a credit card company, since getting stored records is generally legally easy. Then the agent sends a request for “Any and all records and information relating directly or indirectly to any and all ongoing and future transactions or events relating to any and all of the following person(s), entitities, account numbers, addresses and other matters…” That gets them a live feed of transaction data.
At this point, I'm really not sure what still requires a warrant. Among other things, The Man can listen to your phone calls, read your email, monitor what you read on the internet and in libraries, monitor when, where and to whom you talk on your cellphone, put a tracking device on your car, track your credit card purchases, track your loyalty program uses, and none of this requires a warrant or a disclosure that they're watching everything you do. Worse still, it requires no oversight. It's not like I trust the people who would oversee it, but at least one of them might have some damn scruples. Kollar-Kotelly had the occasional moment of decency.
Nine years ago a somewhat notable dipshit said that the terrorists hate us because of all of our freedoms. I thought that was one of the most ludicrous remarks of his seemingly endless repertoire. What baffles me is how the people who buy into that nonsense think that the way to win this bogus war by giving the terrorists exactly what they ostensibly want. WTF, America? I've said it many times, but this is a fucking stupid place.
Topic: Anybody still remember search warrants? (Read 1704 times)