Facism - Electronic Privacy About To Be Thrown Out the Window

It looks like the sponsor of the Electronic Telecommunication Act of 2011 (S. 1011), Pat Leahy (D-Vermont) has "revised" the bill, caving to pressure from law enforcement lobbying groups, including the National District Attorneys Association and National Sheriffs' Association, according to a recent c|net article.

Among the revised provisions are a litany of privacy-reducing revisions:

• Warrantless access to Americans' electronic correspondence to over 22 federal agencies. Only a subpoena is required, not a search warrant signed by a judge based on probable cause.
• State and local law enforcement granted warrantless access Americans' correspondence stored on systems not offered "to the public," including university networks.
• Authorizes any law enforcement agency to access accounts without a warrant -- or subsequent court review -- if they claim "emergency" situations exist. 
• Providers "shall notify" law enforcement in advance of any plans to tell their customers that they've been the target of a warrant, order, or subpoena. 
• Delay of notification of customers whose accounts have been accessed from 3 days to "10 business days." This notification can be postponed by up to 360 days.

If your personal privacy for online activities is still important to you, contact your U.S. senators to voice your opposition to this Orwellian nightmare.