Wiretapping And Surveillance Laws On The United States

The uses of wiretapping and surveillance have become extremely evident in the society we live in today. With issues of terrorism and foreign threat, the concern for the safety of American citizens is at an all-time high. Over the past 50 years, different amendments and acts have been passed to help regulate the use of wiretap and surveillance tactics, but perhaps the most significant of the bunches would be Title III, FISA, and the Patriot Act. These acts paved way to a safer feeling society, but at the same time they bare constitutional issues which take away some of the liberties granted to citizens by the U.S. Constitution’s Bill of Rights, raising a lot of controversy within our society. One of the most controversial themes being the NYPD Surveillance Program which targets foreign operations here in the U.S. by unconstitutional means of action, but due to the regulations of amended acts such as the Patriot Act, the actions of the NYPD have been found completely legal. This paper discusses the evolution of wiretap and surveillance laws and how the NYPD has incorporated them into tactics that suffice many constitutional issues. Title III of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act, also known as the Wiretap Act, was formed in 1968 to regulate the collection of actual content of â€Å"wire† and â€Å"oral† communications (ilt.eff.org). Title III was passed after published investigative studies determined that government was conducting extensive wiretapping on agencies andShow MoreRelatedWiretapping And The Fourth Amendment Rights Of Criminals1559 Words   |  7 Pages1928- Olmstead v.United States Supreme court rules federal investigators can wiretap into suspects phones legally, and use those conversations as evidence. Roy Olmstead, a suspected bootlegger, was bugged in the basement of his office, and also in the streets surrounding his home. He was later convicted based on that evidence. 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