September 11, 2001. The day a lot changed in the world. Part of it was a huge expansion of the surveillance tech and loosening of restriction on said tech, especially against U.S. Citizens.
The Patriot Act was passed and signed less than two months after 9/11 opening the flood gates. Suddenly, it was a lot easier to spy on folks, and warrants were handed out like candy under FISA. Well, let's hope this is about to change. This first article is behind a paywall, the second one, the later one shows more progress.
"The House Judiciary Committee released new legislation Monday to overhaul the government’s main electronic spying law, proposing new limits on who can access the trove of communications and demanding the FBI get a warrant if it wants to run Americans’ identities through the database."
House Judiciary Committee demands warrant, other safeguards on feds’ FISA spy powers
"Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle agreed that the intelligence community should face more stringent barriers on when it can employ a controversial surveillance law against American citizens."
"WASHINGTON (CN) — The House Judiciary Committee on Wednesday overwhelmingly approved a bill that, if made law, would slap restrictions on a law that some members of Congress have argued gives the intelligence community license to spy on American citizens.
"The provision, established by amendment in 2008 and set to expire Dec. 31, was originally established as a counterterrorism tool giving the intelligence community license to monitor and deter threats from abroad. Critics of the provision, however, have argued that it has departed from its original intent."
House panel approves bill to limit federal surveillance powers
