Patriot Summer: Extending the USA PATRIOT Act
Information Today, Vol. 22, No. 8, p. 1, 2005
4 Pages Posted: 10 Sep 2009
Abstract
Writer George Orwell was under surveillance by Scotland Yard’s Special Branch from 1936 to 1948, according to recently released records. Ironically, 1948 was also the year he published his classic novel, 1984, the futuristic and frightening tale depicting a land of continual electronic and personal eavesdropping and regulated behavior (“Big Brother Is Watching You”).
Scotland Yard had Orwell under surveillance because of his alleged involvement in communist activities. Fast-forward to 2005 and Orwell’s reflections and his vision of 1984 can be viewed in light of the cold and hot war on terrorism.
The USA PATRIOT Act became one of the first responses to the war on terrorism after 9/11. Enacted in October 2001, the act responded to intelligence faults that allegedly prevented information from getting to proper authorities in time to block the attacks. The act was also intended to strengthen law-enforcement and intelligence-gathering tools to prevent future attacks. At its core, the PATRIOT Act allows the government to gather more information about more people and to share that information among additional government agencies. And this has raised concerns for many people, particularly those in the information industry.
Keywords: USA PATRIOT Act, USA PATRIOT Reauthorization Act, privacy, national security, civil liberties, war on terrorism, 911, intelligence gathering, government surveillance, constitutional rights, library records, bookstore records, unwarranted searches, judicial oversight, legislative oversight
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