General Discussion

Nuclear Unicorn

(19,497 posts) Tue Jun 11, 2013, 10:23 AM Jun 2013

Should the Gov pass meta-data on to DEA to find people possibly violating federal law?

I read elsewhere on DU that collecting meta-data without a warrant is legal.

As drug laws are federal and websites travel interstate that puts the issue squarely within the federal government's purview. That being said, do the feds have a right to use meta-data based on internet activity to develop probable cause profiles of people who might currently be breaking federal law?

5 replies

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Highlight:

Should the Gov pass meta-data on to DEA to find people possibly violating federal law? (Original Post) Nuclear Unicorn Jun 2013 OP

They have to get a court order to collect meta-data. The question should be does that process have BenzoDia Jun 2013 #1

The collected meta-data is limited in its use by the authorizing warrant Recursion Jun 2013 #2

Apparently not, as I've been told from another DU thread Nuclear Unicorn Jun 2013 #4

I don't think metadata would be of much use. randome Jun 2013 #3

But the authority collecting the meta-data is doing so without oversight Nuclear Unicorn Jun 2013 #5

BenzoDia

(1,010 posts)

1. They have to get a court order to collect meta-data. The question should be does that process have

Reply to Nuclear Unicorn (Original post)

Tue Jun 11, 2013, 10:31 AM

Jun 2013

enough oversight?

We can't really answer that since that happens behind closed doors.

Recursion

(56,582 posts)

2. The collected meta-data is limited in its use by the authorizing warrant

Reply to Nuclear Unicorn (Original post)

Tue Jun 11, 2013, 10:33 AM

Jun 2013

That, incidentally, is the entire point of pushing for a "universal" warrant system like FISA 5 years ago.

Nuclear Unicorn

(19,497 posts)

4. Apparently not, as I've been told from another DU thread

Reply to Recursion (Reply #2)

Tue Jun 11, 2013, 10:35 AM

Jun 2013

Smith v. Maryland, 442 U.S. 735 (1979) - No warrant required for call metadata
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10022966764

randome

(34,845 posts)

3. I don't think metadata would be of much use.

Reply to Nuclear Unicorn (Original post)

Tue Jun 11, 2013, 10:35 AM

Jun 2013

But if it was, I would have no problem with using all available resources to stop child pornography, spousal abuse, etc. Maybe if it was limited to 2 or 3 especially egregious crimes.

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Nuclear Unicorn

(19,497 posts)

5. But the authority collecting the meta-data is doing so without oversight

Reply to randome (Reply #3)

Tue Jun 11, 2013, 10:39 AM

Jun 2013

Why should they be allowed to choose which laws they give a pass on?

Late last week we heard DHS believes it can stop people at the border and conduct warrantless searches of computers and whatnot for child porn. Obviously child porn should result in death by bee sting but for every person caught for child porn how many will have their rights abrogated?

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