Patriot Act And Citizen's Privacy
Patriot Act and Citizen’s Privacy
Abstract
In today’s day and age, technology makes it easy for employers, the government, stalkers, or law enforcement agencies to keep tabs on what an individual does. Leaving the home to go to work or the grocery store, it is estimated your photo will be taken at least 30 times. Monitoring activities at the workplace ensures efficiency and productivity. The September 11th attacks triggered a dramatic shift in privacy rights in the United States. The author of this paper describes the Patriot Act and identifies its implications for citizen’s privacy rights in the United States.
Patriot Act and Citizen’s Privacy
The events of September 11th 2001, left America shocked, enraged, outraged, and in total disbelief. Congress’s response to the attack was passing the USA Patriot Act. The Act’s purpose was to give federal law agencies “greater and speedier access to communications with the intention of stopping terrorist activity” (Tech Target 2007). The Patriot Act allows federal officials greater authority in intercepting communications, and gives the Secretary of Treasury regulatory powers to combat corruption for money laundering purposes. The act also works to keep the borders closed to terrorist, freely remove terrorist within the country, defines new crimes and penalties, and establishes new techniques to fight terrorism (Tech Target 2007).
The USA Patriot Act is lengthy and covers many areas. The Act enhances domestic security against terrorism by increasing funding for counterterrorism and technical support. The Presidential authority and military assistance is also extended in the USA Patriot Act. Surveillance procedures have been enhanced by extending authority to intercept wire, oral, and electronic communications. The authority to share criminal investigative information was enhanced among other powers of investigations and seizures of communications and records. The Act also addresses money laundering issues and...
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