The new law also makes the warrantless wiretaps legal.
The 4th Amendment to the US Constitution says:
Amendment IVThat would appear to settle the matter - warrantless searches are unconstitutional.
The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.
The US government long ago gutted much of the US Constitution and the 4th Amendment, in particular, has been ignored to the point of being rendered completely ineffectual.
With wiretaps being warrantless, there can be no effective independent oversight. Any records they may be required to keep can be freely fabricated as they do not have to be sworn in front of a judge.
Unfettered and unaccountable surveillance is a tool of tyranny, not freedom.
The law now goes to the Senate, where it is expected to pass.
[UPDATE: More on the new law and its context from Robert Parry at Op-Ed News]
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