Wyden blocks intelligence bill amid concerns over civil liberties
Source: The Oregonian
WASHINGTON – Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., on Monday blocked quick passage of controversial intelligence bill amid concerns that it gives the government too much power to secretly collect data on U.S. citizens.
Wyden’s decision to place a “hold” on a bill that would extend the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act for five years is just the latest installment in his long-running skirmish with the White House over the rules and practices for collecting and analyzing massive amounts of digital data.
Wyden has sought details for months on the number of Americans whose data has been collected as part of surveillance of foreign citizens who are or interest to intelligence officials. The government has yet to provide an answer that satisfies Wyden.
The second concern is that a U.S. citizen could have his or her personal information and communication analyzed as a by-product of an operation directed at a foreign citizen. Wyden is demanding that the government first obtain a warrant to review the information about the U.S citizen. Current law considers that additional information to be covered by the original warrant giving permission to monitor a foreign citizen, a practice Wyden condemns as a “backdoor” search.
Read more: http://www.oregonlive.com/politics/index.ssf/2012/06/wyden_blocks_intelligence_bill.html
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