Portions of Patriot Act Expire
Parts of the Patriot Act used to justify the US government's collection of information on every telephone call and digital communication in the United States have expired.
Bloomberg reports the expiration was made possible by the efforts of Senator Rand Paul and Representatives Justin Amash and Thomas Massie, all Republicans. Paul forced the provisions to expire by using a number of procedural maneuvers.
His colleagues in the House of Representatives, Amash and Massie, were present to block any quick action to restore the act that may have taken place in the House.
The lapse in parts of the Patriotic Act will soon be amended, as the House has passed a bill called the Freedom Act, that will force the government to acquire such records from the companies that provide communication services, like Google or Verizon. That bill has wide support in the Senate
The Freedom Act is expected to be voted on and passed sometime in the next week or so.
One portion of the Patriot Act that expired provided the government with the ability to use "roving" wiretaps, which can be used to track people who use and discard numerous cell phones, according to Reuters.
Another expired component of the law would have allowed security officials to target suspects who have not identified with any extremist organizations. A third expired provision made it easier for the government to seize the business records and personal information of suspects and their associates.
Paul admitted that the Freedom Act would eventually restore most of these powers, but took pride in gaining a symbolic victory for the cause of privacy. Paul is currently running for president, and identifies as a libertarian. This action and his recent filibuster against the Patriot Act are sure to motivate his core supporters.
