FREE EXPRESSION NETWORK USA PATRIOT Act Page

"The USA PATRIOT Act Six Months Later: A Statement by Members of the Free Expression Network"

• April 25, 2002 - Media Advisory: Briefing on Capitol Hill Raises Free Speech Concerns Over Anti-Terrorism "PATRIOT ACT" on it's Six-Month Anniversary

Also see:
• On Sixth Month Anniversary of USA PATRIOT Enactment, ACLU Joins With Groups Urging Preservation of Free Speech (ACLU)
• Six Months After Passage, Anti-Terrorism Law Proves A Threat To Free Expression (PFAW)

View the Text of the USA PATRIOT Act

• June 13, 2002 letter from Rep. F. James Sensenbrenner, Jr. and Rep. John Conyers, Jr. addressed to U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft containing fifty questions about the USA PATRIOT Act

What Free Expression Network Members Have Said About Free Speech & the USA PATRIOT Act

American Booksellers Foundation for Free Expression

• August 21, 2002 - ABFFE Files Freedom of Information Request with Justice Dept.

• August 19, 2002 - Book Groups Protest Secrecy on Bookstore, Library Subpoenas

• House Questions Ashcroft On Bookstore, Newspaper Subpoenas

• November 1, 2001 -- The new federal antiterrorism law that was signed by President Bush on October 26 contained a number of provisions that are deeply troubling to civil libertarians. One of them makes it easier for the FBI to search a bookstore's business records, including the titles of the books purchased by customers.

ABFFE is deeply concerned by the potential chilling effect of court orders issued to booksellers under this new law. Normally, when a bookseller receives a subpoena for customer information, he or she has the opportunity to ask the court to quash the order on First Amendment grounds. In several cases, booksellers have successfully resisted subpoenas. Under the new amendments to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), however, booksellers may not have this chance. Depending on the wording of the order, the bookseller may be required to immediately turn over the records that are being sought.

ABFFE has sent a letter to all members of the American Booksellers Association advising them of what to do if they receive a court order under FISA. To see the ABFFE letter, click here.

American Civil Liberties Union

• August 23, 2002 - Secret Wiretap Court Exposes Ashcroft Plans to Circumvent the Constitution

• August 21, 2002 - ACLU Seeks Information on Government’s Use of Vast New Surveillance Powers

• August 9, 2002 - Operation TIPS Scaled Back, ACLU Still Critical

• August 6, 2002 - In Surreal Development, Bush Administration Routes TIPS Calls to TV Show "America's Most Wanted"

• July 18, 2002 - Republican Majority Leader Armey Rejects White House Plans for Operation TIPS, National ID

• July 15, 2002 - ACLU Says Bush Administration Should Not Allow Operation TIPS To Become An End Run Around Constitution

• May 30, 2002 - ACLU Says Rewriting of Domestic Spying Restrictions Gives FBI New Powers Despite Growing Evidence of Analytical Failures

• March 8, 2002 - On Eve of Sixth-Month Anniversary of September 11th, ACLU Says Terrorist Attacks Have Changed American Law, Society

• March 6, 2002 - Broad Coalition Urges FBI to Maintain Current Domestic Spying Guidelines; Says Any Weakening Would Threaten Constitutional Speech

• January 24, 2002 - ACLU Calls for Monitoring of USA PATRIOT Act; Says Administration Misinformed Public After September 11

• December 14, 2001 - Threats to Civil Liberties Post-September 11: Secrecy, Erosion of Privacy, Danger of Unchecked Government - Statement of Gregory Nojeim, Associate Director, ACLU Washington National Office

• December 10, 2001 - ACLU Appalled by Ashcroft Statement on Dissent; Calls Free Speech "Main Engine of Justice" - Statement of Laura Murphy, Director, ACLU Washington National Office

• November 11, 2002 - USA Patriot Act Boosts Government Powers While Cutting Back on Traditional Checks and Balances - An ACLU Legislative Analysis

• November 1, 2001 - New Anti-Terrorism Law Once Again Undermines Role of Judiciary - Statement of Laura Murphy, Director, ACLU Washington National Office

• October 26, 2001 - Bush Signs Sweeping Law Enforcement Bill

ACLU's How the USA PATRIOT Act:
• Allows for Detention and Deportation of People Engaging in Innocent Associational Activity
• Limits Judicial Oversight of Telephone and Internet Surveillance
• Puts the CIA Back in the Business of Spying on Americans

• ACLU's TIPS Watch

American Library Association

• Guidelines for Librarians on the USA PATRIOT Act (PDF Format)

• The Search & Seizure of Electronic Information: The Law Before & After the USA PATRIOT Act (PDF Format)

• USA PATRIOT Act: A Summary of ALA Activities (PDF Format)

• October 2, 2001 - Library Community Letter to Congress on Anti-Terrorism Legislation (PDF Format)

• October 2, 2001 - Library Community Statement on Proposed Anti-Terrorism Measures (PDF Format)

• September 20, 2001 - Library Community Statement on Freedom of Speech and Access to Information (PDF Format)

Association of American Publishers

• The Patriot Act and the First Amendment: Why the Book Community is Concerned
A Statement from the Freedom to Read Committee of the Association of American Publishers

• Public Hearings on USAPA Now! (Take Action! Send a Message!)

• EFF Analysis of the Provisions of the USA PATRIOT Act That Relate to Online Activities

• USAPA Sunset Provisions Could Leave Congress in the Dark

• Chilling Effects of Anti-Terrorism page

Electronic Privacy Information Center

• October 29, 2002 -- Within hours of the USA PATRIOT Act being signed into law, the Justice Department issued a field guidance memorandum (PDF) on the new anti-terrorism authorities approved by Congress. The memorandum does not address expanded powers under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act; guidance in that area appears to be classified. Attorney General John Ashcroft announced that he has directed FBI and U.S. Attorney's offices "to begin immediately implementing this sweeping legislation."

• October 26, 2002 -- The President signed the USA-PATRIOT Act of 2001 into law. The Senate voted 98-1 to pass the Act, a "compromise" version of the various anti-terrorism bills, on October 25. This final congressional action followed 24 hours after the House voted 357-66 to approve the same version of the bill, based on H.R. 3108 and S. 1510. The final legislation includes a few changes: most notably, a sunset on the electronic surveillance provisions, and an amendment providing judicial oversight of law enforcement's use of the FBI's Carnivore system. However, it retains provisions vastly expanding government investigative authority, especially with respect to the Internet.

Freedom Forum

•June 25, 2002 - FBI Monitoring Library Records in Terror Probe

• Free Expression After September 11th - An Online Index