4th Amendment Doesn't Exist?

[LongBlade]

If this is true, and some of us have suspected this for some time, then it is truly troubling.

A formerly high-ranking member of the National Security Agency says the FBI's investigation into former CIA director David Petraeus is proof that digital privacy is nonexistent in America.

"What I've been basically saying for quite some time, is that the FBI has access to the data collected, which is basically the emails of virtually everybody in the country,"  NSA whistleblower William Binney said in a recent interview with the Kremlin-funded news outlet RT. "And the FBI has access to it."

Read more: http://dailycaller.com/2012/12/06/fbi-has-access-to-emails-of-everybody-in-the-country-says-nsa-whistleblower/

Data searches go back at least a decade:

"All the congressional members are on the surveillance too, no one is excluded," said Binney.

"They are all included," he said, "So, yes, this can happen to anyone. If they become a target for whatever reason – they are targeted by the government, the government can go in, or the FBI, or other agencies of the government, they can go into their database, pull all that data collected on them over the years, and we analyze it all."

"So, we have to actively analyze everything they've done for the last 10 years at least," said Binney.

Read more: http://dailycaller.com/2012/12/06/fbi-has-access-to-emails-of-everybody-in-the-country-says-nsa-whistleblower/

[Windigo]

If this is true, and some of us have suspected this for some time, then it is truly troubling.

A formerly high-ranking member of the National Security Agency says the FBI's investigation into former CIA director David Petraeus is proof that digital privacy is nonexistent in America.

"What I've been basically saying for quite some time, is that the FBI has access to the data collected, which is basically the emails of virtually everybody in the country,"  NSA whistleblower William Binney said in a recent interview with the Kremlin-funded news outlet RT. "And the FBI has access to it."

Read more: http://dailycaller.com/2012/12/06/fbi-has-access-to-emails-of-everybody-in-the-country-says-nsa-whistleblower/

Data searches go back at least a decade:

"All the congressional members are on the surveillance too, no one is excluded," said Binney.

"They are all included," he said, "So, yes, this can happen to anyone. If they become a target for whatever reason – they are targeted by the government, the government can go in, or the FBI, or other agencies of the government, they can go into their database, pull all that data collected on them over the years, and we analyze it all."

"So, we have to actively analyze everything they've done for the last 10 years at least," said Binney.

Read more: http://dailycaller.com/2012/12/06/fbi-has-access-to-emails-of-everybody-in-the-country-says-nsa-whistleblower/

all you have to hide is your penchant for  aveeno and your wife's undies ....

[eyebiter]

It's all fun and games until the elites realize they are subject to the same treatment as the proles.

[Longdan]

Democracy hurts.  All this fear and protection of our
purported values is getting out of control.  Whose
interpretation of the constitution will you fight for?
On the other hand maybe it is good we learnt that
the Good General was investigating things he shouldn't have.
At least he used his own personal unit instead of delegating.

[Boggit]

"Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?"(Who will guard the Guardians)

Let's hope that those who have this access will also act with the highest level of integrity as well.

[Longdan]

It would set a precedent.
They don't teach Latin in school anymore
but everybody knows by now the custodian has the keys.

[Steelgrave]

"Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?"(Who will guard the Guardians)

Let's hope that those who have this access will also act with the highest level of integrity as well.

Somehow I wouldn't feel comfortable betting the farm on that one.

[LongBlade]

"Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?"(Who will guard the Guardians)

Let's hope that those who have this access will also act with the highest level of integrity as well.

Unfortunately, it would seem few have demonstrated that integrity: every person in service to the nation swears to uphold and defend our constitution. The constitution and our 4th amendment have not been amended. Ergo, it is still in full force. Legally speaking, this cannot take place. They have failed in their oath if they go along with this.

Eyebiter has nailed it: it's all fun and games until the guys in power realize they're playing by the same rules. Mind you, there's a good chance that Petraeus got busted by this.

A couple of months back Senator Rand Paul received a confidential briefing about this and came out strongly against it. IIRC he said the number of searches on US citizens were too many to count.

This has been out of control for a while. It's time to return to the rule of law.

[son_of_montfort]

I suspect the internet and digital information has muddied the waters of the Fourth Amendment. For example, if you send a paper letter, it is federally protected until it reaches the recipient and after that can be disseminated. Trash can be searched without breaking the Fourth Amendment. The question is - if the email sits on a Federal server - who does the email belong to? What about private emails and private servers? This is going to be the Constitutional argument for the next several decades.

My one saving grace is that there are millions upon millions of emails, tweets, FB posts, etc. that go out constantly. There is not enough manpower to go through them all. So big brother can collect them, but rarely are they able to use them against regular people. They would have to sift through all of the FWD chain letters from your aunt, the cat pictures, and internet memes first.

Now corporate America... that is scary. They track all sorts of stuff that seems borderline unethical.