Security News > 2020 > May > US lawmakers get a second shot at forcing FBI agents to obtain a warrant before they leaf through web histories

US lawmakers will get another vote on whether the FBI must get a warrant before agents can search Americans' search and web-browsing histories.

One cause for concern is the lack of requirement, in section 215 of the legislation, for the Feds to get a search warrant before requesting access to people's internet activities from their ISPs.

The House vote on the amendment will follow a similar attempt to add a warrant requirement in the Senate earlier this month, which fell by a single vote, and caused uproar.

"There are few things more private than where a person goes on the internet, or what they search for online, so the government must obtain a warrant to get that information. I urge the House to pass it, and the Senate to follow suit."

The unexpected expansion of section 215 spying powers to include everyone's search and browsing histories without requiring a warrant continues a long back-and-forth over the USA PATRIOT Act where the Feds have repeatedly interpreted the law, often in secret, to allow for a range of activities that have worried privacy advocates, civil liberties groups, and lawmakers.

News URL

https://go.theregister.co.uk/feed/www.theregister.co.uk/2020/05/26/us_fisa_spying/