National Security Letters...finally ungagged?

National Security Letters (NSLs) are the very dirty little secret of the Patriot Act. These letters enable the FBI to obtain information--for example, from your local library or your Internet Service Provider--without the need for a subpoena. And even worse, if you are the lucky recipient of such a letter, you are GAGGED--yes, silenced--from even revealing that you have been asked for the information requested. Here's a factsheet about them from the ACLU:



http://www.aclu.org/safefree/nationalsecurityletters/index.html



The kind of information asked for? It could be your library borrowing records. It could be a list of the websites you've visited. It could even be who I really am, hiding behind that fancy Latin blogname.



We gotta fix this, you say. There are a few souls in the Congress would love to do just that. HR 1800, "The National Security Letters Reform Act of 2009" (http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/F?c111:1:./temp/~c111oyvq8P:e1281:) would only allow NSLs to be issued if there are "specific and articulable facts" that justify them, and would not allow these letters to be issued "in connection with an investigation of a United States person solely upon the basis of activities protected by the first amendment to the Constitution of the United States." This sounds like a good protection...indeed, it is a great improvement over what is now allowed under the Patriot Act.



The gag is not removed, however, but at least limited to 30 days under most circumstances, though the FBI may request a gag for up to 180 days.



This is a good bill to follow. Make sure your representative knows about it and ask him or her to cosponsor. So far there are 19 cosponsors:




Rep Carson, Andre [IN-7] - 3/30/2009
Rep Delahunt, William D. [MA-10] - 3/30/2009
Rep Farr, Sam [CA-17] - 3/30/2009
Rep Flake, Jeff [AZ-6] - 3/30/2009
Rep Grijalva, Raul M. [AZ-7] - 3/30/2009
Rep Gutierrez, Luis V. [IL-4] - 3/30/2009
Rep Hinchey, Maurice D. [NY-22] - 3/30/2009
Rep Holt, Rush D. [NJ-12] - 3/30/2009
Rep Jackson-Lee, Sheila [TX-18] - 3/30/2009
Rep Lee, Barbara [CA-9] - 3/30/2009
Rep Maloney, Carolyn B. [NY-14] - 3/30/2009
Rep McDermott, Jim [WA-7] - 3/30/2009
Rep Paul, Ron [TX-14] - 3/30/2009
Rep Schakowsky, Janice D. [IL-9] - 4/23/2009
Rep Scott, Robert C. "Bobby" [VA-3] - 3/30/2009
Rep Shea-Porter, Carol [NH-1] - 3/30/2009
Rep Stark, Fortney Pete [CA-13] - 3/30/2009
Rep Wexler, Robert [FL-19] - 4/2/2009
Rep Woolsey, Lynn C. [CA-6] - 3/30/2009