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Patriot Act

This essay will analyze the patriot act and the pros and cons of this act.

Technology has had an enormous impact on the field of justice studies in differing ways. September 11th 2001 brought about a huge change. Major alterations were made to technology and these changes had an even greater impact on law. Advanced technology has indeed made surveillance affordable and easier to hide from public view. Advanced technology such as wiretapping, surveillance online, and various other means of surveillance tools that were deemed to be an infringement on peoples' right to privacy have now been allowed to be used without thorough justification (Ibbetson, 2007). The FBI has made full use of these tools to bring terrorists to justice before they commit their act of terror. These surveillance tools that the FBI have been authorised to use were passed under the USA Patriot Act. Since the US Patriot Act allows the FBI to extensively peep through what many people may consider being totally private, many questions have arisen. For example, the rights of the FBI to monitor others? Who does it affect? What are the ethical and morale implications? Why is the patriot act of benefit to the United States? The FBI has authorisation to monitor many things that may catch people by surprise. On October 26, 2001, President Bush signed the USA Patriot Act (USAPA) into law. The USA Patriot Act allows the FBI to monitor e-mail, medical records, and library accounts. The FBI now access what may be to most people, personal information. They can legally wiretap phones, break into homes and offices, and access financial records without probable cause. This allows them to waste no time in finding terrorists. There is no doubt that this Act creates strict laws for foreigners. According to Stefanie Olsen, a staff writer for CNET, during President Bush's speech on the USA Patriot Act to the nation's mayors on how the law has targeted those who are suspected of being terrorists, he stated "If you...