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John Ashcroft and Privacy: Excerpts
Posted by Paul Szynol on Monday, November 25 @ 19:25:01 EST Privacy
A recent New York Times article excerpts a 2001 Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist opinion.
Technology now permits millions of important and confidential conversations to occur through a vast system of electronic networks. These advances, however, raise significant privacy concerns. We are placed in the uncomfortable position of not knowing who might have access to our personal and business e-mails, our medical and financial records, or our cordless and cellular telephone conversations.
Here is an excerpt from a 1997 statement made by John Ashcroft (the entire text is here).
There is a concern that the Internet could be used to commit crimes and that advanced encryption could disguise such activity. However, we do not provide the government with phone jacks outside our homes for unlimited wiretaps. Why, then, should we grant government the Orwellian capability to listen at will and in real time to our communications across the Web?
And a recent statement from John Ashcroft (quoted in an ABC News article) on the US Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court of Review's November 18th ruling (the court held that the Patriot Act expands the U.S. government's power enough to allow wiretapping of terrorism suspects): "I believe this is a giant step forward."
 
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