The US Government Wants to Read Your E-Mail -- Without a Warrant
Basically, the case looks at what is considered a "reasonable expectation of privacy", and whether or not e-mail, since it is transmitted over Wi-Fi and other networks, is actually public. Meanwhile, e-mail is also broadcast to an ISP (your service provider) and then distributed to other ISPs. In other words, the government seems to think that they have the right to listen in on your e-mail conversations whenever they please, because you are, by definition, "broadcasting" them.
Normally, e-mail would be protected under the Electronic Communications Privacy Act, which was intended to extend wiretap laws to e-mail. The US Government, however, is arguing that because E-mail is "broadcast", it's no longer private.
While government monitoring of e-mail could be construed as a reasonable attempt to harbor crime like terrorist plots and exchanges of child pornography, the notion that the FBI can call up any e-mail record at any time is, at best, disheartening.
So what do you think? Should we expect our e-mail to be private, or do we give up that right the second we hit the "Send" button?
From The Register
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Tim said 6:58PM on 2-04-2008
Fine!!!!!!!!!! Then we should ALL be able to grab a satellite tv signal from the "air" and enjoy it for FREE!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Stormy said 11:38PM on 2-04-2008
Gee, isn't that a coincidence, we were all hoping we could see theirs, Bush, Cheney and Rove's e-mail too, but they have come up missing! We are America, anything that happens here is our responsibility...There is an election coming up isn't there...Vote!
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Garland said 10:18PM on 2-14-2008
Enough is enough, I believe the over use of terrorism has gone to far. This is a free America, We have a Constitution that is to be up held by our Government. We fought to be free from dictators, we fought to be free from Socialism, We fought to be American. We fought to be Christian. And in our Free America, We have to fight again to keep us free. The very things this country was founded is being taken away. We have taken down dictators, now we are being taken by dictatorship. If they read our e mails and I say something like this to a friend, how would it be interpreted ? Would they think I was a terrorist ? If it came to pass, then it would be a freedom for All Americans to read all the Government E mails. ( They say E mail is public ) Wonder how many terrorist accusations they make against other countries. And do you think they would Call the FBI_ CIA on themselves?
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gsgtaz said 10:57PM on 2-14-2008
Write your congressman, write your president, write your governor. write your state senator, Your Blogs are not heard. There is nothing more mightor than penmanship!!! The mighty pen from hunreds of thousands of Americans' That is how you will be heard!! They want to read mail, Send them something to read!!!!
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BETTY JONES said 9:40AM on 2-15-2008
you no that with all the crazey people out here thet got to get them someway .everybody is allways worried about thier rights well here is my opion it is my right ....right well if you are not doing anything wrong then you got nothing to fret about .all you wineing people are the first people they need to check first!!!!!!!!
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bj said 9:32AM on 2-15-2008
thanks for useing my name
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MsSouthern1 said 5:52PM on 3-20-2008
If it is part of what it takes in this world of Terrorism... small price I would say. I don't have anything to hide, any words spoken to someone via internet is not a concern to our government unless it was illegal. This really shouldn't be any secret... they have always had the ability to read emails...
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PhreedomPhan said 10:27PM on 3-20-2008
America died in 1913.
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PhreedomPhan said 12:32AM on 3-21-2008
What's the big deal? America died in 1913
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Geo said 5:33PM on 4-09-2008
This is amazing... Lots of "excuses" that it is okay on the one side; Lots of "legitimate concerns" regarding 'privacy'...
There has been illegal wire-tapping (old term) going on for decades and decades...
So what's new... except someone begins these conversations as a distraction so BB can do something while citizens are distracted.
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luqe110 said 3:45PM on 11-05-2007
Here we go again, big brother is going to watch over us and make sure all is cool. I don't think so.This is not in the American citizens best interests. Let them do what they are supposed to do.
1-- Protect our borders
2-- Expel the illegal immigrants already within
our borders
3-- Finish the Iraq/ Afganistan war on
terrorism
4-- Come up with an energy plan, it seems we
are no further ahead on this since the oil
embargo of 1973
5-- Come up with a health care plan for all
legal Americans
6-- Start by DOING THE PEOPLES BUSINESS,
RATHER THAN THE BUSINESS OF ALL THOSE
SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS
Seems to me that is enough work to last awhile, we don't need you snooping in our closets.
Come on you jokers, get with the program.
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Jared said 5:38PM on 11-05-2007
THEY HAVE BEEN READING YOUR EMAIL FOR YEARS NOW. AOL IS THE COMPUTER THAT THE CIA USED TO USE. WHY DO YOU THINK THEY GRACIOUSLY PROVIDED IT TO THE PUBLIC TO USE ?? THEY ARE STILL CONNECTED TO IT. LOOK AT THE AOL LOGO - IT IS THE SAME ALL-SEEING-EYE IN THE PYRAMID ON THE BACK OF YOUR DOLLAR BILL. MAKE MORE SENSE NOW ?? AOL IS YOUR GOVERNMENT. YOUR COMMENTS, YOUR FINANCES, EVEN EBAY PURCHASES ARE RECORDED. EVERY MOVE YOU MAKE, THEY ARE WATCHING YOU. BE CAREFUL.
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crisim21 said 7:37PM on 11-05-2007
This is bull. Nothing is sacred in America anymore. They say were democratic, but Bush is no better than stalin or any other dictator that ruled in the world. We as americans should be ashamed.
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Mr. Wm. J. Rountry said 1:17AM on 11-06-2007
Never fail[s] when it comes to Government!.
I [or] They!{gov.} can not have all of the peoples attention all of the time?{hence!}
they go!, Out of the way to make sure they have your ""Undivided attention!.
***** some would call this""JADED"??.
I call it : 'DISTURBED" , DEMENTED ,[others rude things come too mind].
AS "I" {gov.} would like to act out "How"! much I hate what has been Created!.
Deliberate! .. Diversions only further espouse! .. how truly murderous and corrupt any Government can "achieve"!..The end goal of "Incarceration for all that are disliked and despised!.
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JT said 6:59AM on 11-08-2007
It seems that our government is getting to read our mail. go into our bank records and God knows what all, without the due proces of the law. Have they ever heard of a warrant? What has happened to this nation?
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Barb said 8:58AM on 11-06-2007
Big Brother is alive and well in the good ol' US of A. The only thing Orwell got wrong was the time frame.
Government intrusiveness has gone way beyond what's reasonable, all in the name of "terrorism". Terrorism has become a catchphrase for the Shrub administration to do whatever it damn well wants to do, and we lesser beings fall by the wayside.
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J. Marrr said 9:30AM on 11-06-2007
Of course the government wants your email, it goes with your health record and you DMV record and your criminal record, and your income tax records. How on earth can these be complete with out the emails also?
Yes, I am jaded, or maybe just realistic. Americans do not have privacy rights to anything. Even the local grocery stores keep track of what you buy with the "discount cards".
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Lynn said 1:04PM on 11-06-2007
One should have a reasonable expectation that your email is private. But if you live in the United States, you are out of luck. In the name of keeping "terrorism" at bay, the current government has sliced away, bit by bit, at the freedoms Americans once enjoyed. The U.S. is merely a republican democracy in name only know. I mourn for the American Constitution that was once protected by the nation's president.
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Noworrier said 9:32PM on 11-14-2007
If you're not doing anything wrong, there is nothing to worry about, is there?
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Cynthia said 2:26PM on 12-26-2007
I think I will just start forwarding all my email to the White House and save them the trouble. Let them read the viagra ads and requests from the millionaire who needs help getting his money into the country.
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