The Importance of the USA Patriot Act

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The Importance of the USA Patriot Act

The United States government changed the face of computer and internet use when it signed the USA Patriot Act on October 26, 2001. This act was created in the wake of the terrorist attacks in New York City on September 11 that same year. Many people believe that this act is a good thing and will help in defense against any future attacks. What most people do not know, however, is the effect of this act on the more general public. This includes individual people, public libraries, colleges and universities, and even trucking or hauling companies.

The basis of the USA Patriot Act (Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act) is to give law enforcement agencies more power and abilities to investigate cases possibly involving terrorism and foreign intelligence. Law enforcement agencies will target monetary transactions that may induce some terrorist activities. They will also be viewing electronic communications that they deem a threat of terrorism. Search warrants for searching voicemails and obtaining e-mails through Internet Service Providers will be made much easier.

This act is requiring much support from financial institutions. These institutions will be required to report suspicious activities and currency transaction reports along with implementing a money-laundering compliance program. The government is now asking financial institutions to obtain additional information about their customers that may not have much to do with their business at the institution.

The effect of the USAPA on libraries is not so much focused on their use of internet and s...

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...ds terrorism and hacking. USAPA affects financial institutions in many ways. This act also sets up many new responsibilities for such common things like libraries, colleges and universities, and trucking and hauling companies. Many people think that these provisions go too far into someone’s private use of the internet. I think that this act was a good idea and further implementation would also be good to ensure our safety and stop another tragic day like September 11th.

References

Baase, S. (2003). A Gift of Fire: Social, legal, and ethical issues for computers and the Internet. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Pearson Education Inc.

Hockeimer Jr., H. (2002). USA Patriot Act is Broader Than You Might Imagine. New Jersey Law Journal.

The USA PATRIOT Act. (2004, April). Retrieved May 25, 2004, from http://www.epic.org/privacy/terrorism/usapatriot/

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