Fergie's Tech Blog

Library Coalition Comes Down Hard on National Security Letters

Ryan Paul writes on ARS Technica:

A coalition of library organizations which includes the American Library Association (ALA) sponsored a gathering this week in Washington DC to promote awareness and advocacy on a broad assortment of political issues that impact libraries. The ALA's priorities for the National Library Legislative Day (NLLD) include advocating net neutrality, promoting copyright reform, and voicing concerns about the Real ID Act and the Patriot Act.

The ALA also called for "ongoing investigations" into FBI use (and abuse) of National Security Letters (NSLs) and asked legislators to "incorporate judicial review and remove gag orders from NSLs." NSLs, a special kind of subpoena that can be issued without probable cause or judicial oversight, prohibit recipients from disclosing information about NSLs to the extent that recipients can't even publicly admit receiving one. Although the basic concept of NSLs has existed in American law since the late 70s, the Patriot Act expanded the potential for abuse by making it possible for federal law enforcement agents to use NSLs to investigate citizens who are not suspects in any criminal investigations.

posted by Fergie @ 5/03/2007 10:56:00 AM