Internet Subpoenas

For the fourth year in a row, the Senate passed, but the House took no action on, legislation based in part on a USA Patriot Act provision, to give local law enforcement broad authority to obtain subscriber information, including bank and credit card numbers, from Internet service providers without a warrant. In opposing the bill, the ACLU noted that the legislation allows police to obtain this personal information without providing subscribers any chance to contest the request, and without even suspecting the subscriber of any crime. After a hearing, House Finance Committee took no action on the bill.