Coming soon to a trash bin near you: The FBI

AP

Privacy advocates were recently briefed by the Federal Bureau of Investigation about changes coming to the FBI's Domestic Investigations and Operations Guide, which governs how agents may conduct domestic surveillance and investigations.

Charlie Savage of The New York Times writes today that the new rules aim to give agents more latitude in investigating persons or organizations for signs of criminal or terrorist activity and cut down on cumbersome record-keeping.

In 2009 the Time published a redacted version of the Domestic Investigations and Operations Guide dated December 2008 (obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request) which revealed expanded surveillance powers granted to FBI agents by the Bush administration.

Under the FBI's rules, agents are allowed to retain personal information obtained about a subject even if no evidence turns up of any wrongdoing. Agents were also authorized to "proactively" begin investigations (the lowest level of which is termed an "assessment") on potential targets, even without specific justification; and restrictions on the use of intrusive techniques (such as infiltrating organizations, use of informants, or photographing subjects) were loosened.

Now the FBI's revised document will ease rules further. For example, instead of being required to formally open assessments on subjects before conducting searches for information, agents may do so without keeping a record.

Restrictions on the administration of lie-detector tests will be relaxed, as will searching people's garbage, when it comes to evaluating a subject's potential use as an FBI informant.

Also clarified in the manual are special rules governing an FBI agent or informant's surreptitious participation in an organization.

FBI general counsel Valerie E. Caproni told The Times the revised manual represented a "fine-tuning" of rules rather than major changes to the way domestic investigations and surveillance are conducted.

Michael German, a former FBI agent and now a lawyer for the American Civil Liberties Union, told the Times that it was unwise to ease restrictions on agents' ability to use intrusive techniques. He argued that the changes would make it more difficult to detect inappropriate activity on the part of agents.

"Claiming additional authorities to investigate people only further raises the potential for abuse," said Mr. German.

To read more visit The New York Times website.

[J-Rain]

There was a feature today on Democracy Now! about the FBI tracking individuals. Activist Scott Crow talked about cars being parked places he went, with FBI agents inside watching him. And like you mentioned in this article - they went through his trash. Michael German was also interviewed. I thought it really put a face to these extensive searches.
Here is the link: http://www.democracynow.org/2011/6/14/fbi_to_expand_domestic_surveillance_powers

[justme2012]

Always wondered about those huge piles of trash bags out back of the white house in the Dali Lama photo when they made him exit the servant's entrance.

Now I know. Just Obama picking through people's trash looking for enemies.

[barbaram99]

Get computers with no web cams. I will not use a web cam..AS a legally blind person I have no need for them. Are ye tell us people that the FBI/Police dumpter dive..nasty. The bill of rights are part of the US Constution and that is the document of this nation..I know bush hated the US Constution and said so.. i am in my 50s. I member the pre 9/11 America.That is the America grew up in..The new America is full of fear. Welcole to the prison state..every day we are watched by cameras every where in America. They are so small we can't see them. They are on the bus,the bank,store on the street. Big brother is the cameras as I understand it.
We the people are paying the cops to dumptser dive etc. what next...

[167irishboy]

Can they perform water boarding on us for any old suspicion or is that just for prisioners of war?

[Void-Master]

Nothing with my name or address on it gets past my shredder.

[GollyRojer]

I understand, and I shred too. But a corrupt government agency doesn't need real documents. They can produce their own.

[Void-Master]

True enough.

I originally got a shredder as a precaution against identity theft. In dealing with the government (at any level), I just stay as far off the grid as possible.

[ludvig1-2009]

I basically hate cops because this former federal government engineer (retired) as I maintain that the only thing pro-active policing does is cause people to hate cops and I readily admit I hate cops. Why - I get my car searched twice in 4 days because I have Cal. license plates when I go home to visit my parents in Missouri as the local HP thinks they can steal my car even though I've never been in trouble with the law. I come back to Cal. and the local cops take my picture for riding a bicycle down the street. I guess I'll have to expand my zone of hate to include federal agents now.

[babooph]

The FBI has always been welcome to my garbage,though I would like a massive budget reduction for the agency,since it does not have any difficult investigations now that the Patriot act has gotten rid of the Bill of Rights..

[discussthis]

Interesting, isn't it, that the libs who condemned Bush for the Patriot Act, are silent when 0bummer extended it.
And now, decades of rules and court decisions limiting investigations by police and the FBI are overturned -- and police powers to pry into AMERICAN CITIZENS lives are expanded greatly by an 0bummer adminsitrative agency.
Is this Bush's fault, like all of 0bummer's mistakes?

[GollyRojer]

Read much?

"...which revealed expanded surveillance powers granted to FBI agents by the Bush administration."

[GollyRojer]

You can acknowledge your mistake and apologize anytime you can muster the manhood to do it.

[nojoy01]

Now the FBI's revised document will ease rules further. For example, instead of being required to formally open assessments on subjects before conducting searches for information, agents may do so without keeping a record.
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Warrant? We don't need no stinkin' warrants! Besides, since you were not the subject of an official FBI investigation we have no paperwork you can subpoena to prove that your precious so-called rights were violated. Oh, ahd by the way, a tip to the wise. If you were to raise the thermostat on your air conditioning to 78 degrees from it's present 70 degrees you would not only save energy, but you would save money, too.

You think I'm joking? It was bad enough before, but now the FBI will have open season to profile anyone & everyone. And the $64 question is: With no records being kept, how are you(we) gonna know if something criminal HAS been done. No, I don't subscibe to the idea that the individual FBI agents are a latter day gestapo, but I do believe that without a firm, enforceable (by a third party, the U.S. courts), and universally recognized set of guidelines the FBI as an institution will allow/require agents to assuming that if it ain't forbidden, it's ok.

[GollyRojer]

Power corrupts, and absol... well, you know.

[justme2012]

Obama will not look at my trash. I'll burn it all!

[justme2012]

Actually they are. They took legal control over all waterways in the US including wet water creeks and mud puddles.

The government now has the rights to all water sources in America.