Number of federal wiretaps rose 71 percent in 2012

[avaistheone1]

The number of wiretaps secured in federal criminal investigations jumped 71 percent in 2012 over the previous year, according to newly released figures.

Federal courts authorized 1,354 interception orders for wire, oral and electronic communications, up from 792 the previous year, according to the figures, released Friday by the Administrative Office of the United States Courts. There was a 5 percent increase in state and local use of wiretaps in the same period.

The office collects the figures from federal and local jurisdictions at the request of Congress, but does not interpret the statistics. There is no explanation of why the federal figures increased so much, and it is generally out of line with the number of wiretaps between 1997 and 2009, which averaged about 550 annually. There was also a large number of wiretaps in 2010, when 1,207 were secured.

“This is just one more piece of evidence demonstrating the need for a full, informed public debate about the scope, breadth, and pervasiveness of government surveillance in this country,” Mark Rumold, a staff attorney at the Electronic Frontier Foundation, said in an e-mail. “We have a secret surveillance program churning in the background, sweeping in everyone’s communications, and, at the same time, in the shadows (and frequently under seal), law enforcement is constantly expanding its use and reliance on surveillance in traditional criminal investigations.”

http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/number-of-federal-wiretaps-rose-71-percent-in-2012/2013/06/28/9ffde292-e032-11e2-963a-72d740e88c12_story.html

[Thinkingabout]

1. This would be proof of warrants being issued on accordance with the Fourth Amendment

Being issued. Out of the number of phone calls the wiretapping is a small percentage.

[HooptieWagon]

2. Occupy.

[frazzled]

3. "out of line with the number of wiretaps between 1997 and 2009"

Well, that's interesting ... given that the Bush administration didn't believe they needed warrants to wiretap. That just might explain the numbers being lower. As for the 3 years before 2000, well ... they were also the years before large-scale attacks such as 9/11, and before we had overseas military operations, and ... yes ... before there was metadata. (Though, admittedly, OK City and WTC bombings had occurred by that time.)

Still, it's a small number in view of the population of 300,000,000. That's .000045 of one percent. I'm sure some of these were for crime-related as opposed to terrorism-related investigations. But in the end, we at least know that, for now, no, the government is not "spying" on every single one of us.

[indepat]

4. Amazing how suspected criminal activity must have increased or how low the probable cause

bar has been lowered like: why do you need a warrant? 'cause.