Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978 Amendment Hear it!

Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978 Amendment (FISA) Hacker Definition

(legal term)

After the September 11 attacks, U.S. Senator Mike DeWine, R-OH, introduced a bill on June 20, 2002, to change the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978 in such a way as to lower the standard of proof for issuing orders against non-U.S. persons from “probable cause” to “reasonable suspicion.” In July 2002, hearings were held at the U.S. Senate Subcommittee on Intelligence.

In 2004, the number of court-supported wiretaps in the United States increased by a significant 19%, all for tech-savvy criminals with nonterrorist-related concerns. In fact, all 1,507 wiretaps requested by authorities were allowed. Of these, about 90% were issued for wiretapping cell phones and pagers. For 2004, the court orders allowed under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act for terrorist-related concerns was a record 1,754 warrants.

See Also: Intelligence.

Center for Democracy and Technology. Legislation Affecting the Internet. [Online, July 28, 2004.] Center for Democracy and Technology Website. http://www.cdt.org/ legislation/107th/ wiretaps/; In Brief. U.S. Wiretap Numbers Soar As Suspects Get Tech-Savvy. The Globe and Mail, May 5, 2005, p. B25.