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Do some sections of the Patriot Act give Government Agencies to much power?
The Patriot Act has become a controversial topic within many different courthouses in the United States. The Patriot Act is a provision of the laws created by the U.S. government to help fight the threat of terrorism. What the Patriot Act does is reduces restrictions on law enforcement agencies abilities to search through people’s personal information such as: emails, phone records, medical records, financial statements, and other records. One of the biggest concerns with the power the Patriot Act is the power it gives law enforcement officers is the power to detain immigrants for possible future deportation. Since the enactment of the Patriot Act there have been multiple revisions made by the House that extend the surveillance capabilities of government agencies. One of these provisions that were extended was the “Lone Wolf” provision which allowed government agencies to perform surveillance of individuals and groups not identified or associated with terrorist groups. Another provision that was extended was the “Library Law” which allowed government agencies the right to confiscate or access insubstantial items of individuals under surveillance. In 2001, laws did not exist regarding Internet surveillance. As the Internet grew, authorities relied on pre-Internet era wiretap laws to gather information. Essentially, whenever law enforcement personnel wanted access to Internet addresses (URLs), th...
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