"Surveillance powers granted to the deep state allow the FBI and others to spy on Americans as a method of control. Those worried about a slip into authoritarianism must look past whomever is in the White House at any one time and see what new technology and old laws has allowed us to become. The latest example comes from an FBI document obtained by Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-IA),"
"Metadata shows when and to whom a call is made. It also shows the duration of the call and the physical location for both ends of the call. It does not require a warrant. It does not require probable cause. The FBI can simply subpoena a company like Verizon or T-Mobile and demand they turn over all the metadata records they have on someone. The FBI teaches local law enforcement how to do that to spread the net."
"Whistleblower disclosures to Grassley also revealed the FBI confiscated the government cell phones of President Donald Trump and former Vice President Mike Pence during its Arctic Frost investigation. The FBI was seeking to uncover links among the elected officials and people associated with January 6. The goal was to prosecute if possible. To help keep the spying secret, the document detailing this all was stored in an FBI Prohibited Access file."
Surveillance powers enable the FBI and others to collect Americans' communications metadata without warrants or probable cause by subpoenaing carriers. Metadata reveals call parties, duration, and physical locations and can be obtained simply by demanding carrier records. The FBI targeted eight Republican senators' personal cell phones and one Republican House member as part of the Arctic Frost inquiry into January 6 connections. Whistleblowers revealed that the FBI confiscated government phones belonging to President Donald Trump and former Vice President Mike Pence during that investigation. Related materials were placed in secret Prohibited Access files that concealed access from much of the FBI and oversight bodies.
Read at The American Conservative
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