The Federal Bureau of Investigation collects data on individuals not suspected of any crime through a controversial section of the Patriot Act, according to a watchdog report, while the debate on that ability and its supposed strengths rages on.<\/p>\n
The report, an analysis of the Federal Bureau of Investigation\u2019s
\nuse of Sec. 215 of the Patriot Act to acquire so-called business
\nrecords, was released on Thursday of this week by the DOJ\u2019s
\nOffice of the Inspector General, and raises concerns over the
\nFBI\u2019s reluctance to implement changes to the program despite
\nyears of recommendations.<\/p>\n
According to the OIG analysis, the FBI is on track to collect \u201cThe agents we interviewed did not identify any major case
\nmore types of records than ever before through its Sec. 215
\nauthority, notwithstanding concerns over the bureau\u2019s inability
\nto adopt minimization procedures, and the degree of incidental
\nsurveillance Americans are increasingly subject to.
\n
\n\u201cThe report notes that the scope of business records sought under
\nSection 215 greatly expanded in response to legislative changes,
\ntechnological advances and strategic choices, and that Section
\n215 orders have been used in investigations of groups comprised
\nof unknown members and to obtain information in bulk concerning
\npersons who are not the subjects of or associated with any FBI
\ninvestigation,\u201d<\/em> reads part of the report\u2019s executive
\nsummary.<\/p>\n
\ndevelopments that resulted from use of the records obtained in
\nresponse to Section 215 orders, but told us that the material
\nproduced…was valuable in that it was used to support other
\ninvestigative requests, develop investigative leads and
\ncorroborate other information,\u2019\u2019<\/em> the report concluded.<\/p>\n