Patriot Act

The USA Patriot Act is a law that broadly expands the ability of the government to investigate electronically and surveil both U. S. citizens and foreign nationals around the world. It was pushed hurriedly through the U.S. Congress within weeks of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the U.S. by Al Queda. Described by the Electronic Frontier Foundation as representing "one of the most significant threats to civil liberties, privacy, and democratic traditions in US history", the controversial law is still in effect today, and per the EFF, it gives "sweeping search and surveillance to domestic law enforcement and foreign intelligence agencies and eliminates checks and balances that previously gave courts the opportunity to ensure that those powers were not abused." The Americal Civil Liberties Union believes most parts of the law to be unconstitutional, citing "unchecked government power to rifle through individuals' financial records, medical histories, Internet usage, bookstore purchases, library usage, travel patterns, or any other activity that leaves a record". The law also expands the government's power to do secret searches and wiretaps without the accountability formerly required through judicial oversight. Per the ACLU, the Patriot Act puts the CIA back in the business of spying on American citizens, and it allows for the indefinite detention of non-citizens.