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FBI Sought Approval To Use Spyware Through FISC

Posted by Soulskill on from the hey-guys-this-is-ok-right dept.

An anonymous reader writes "Wired is reporting that the FBI sought approval to use its custom spyware program, CIPAV, from the secretive Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court in terrorism or spying investigations. Affidavits prepared for the court are among 3,000 pages of documents gathered, but not yet released, in response to a Freedom of Information Act request from Wired. The FBI hasn't answered any questions about its use of the CIPAV since the program's existence became widely known in July. The FISC is generally regarded as a rubber stamp; it approved over 4,000 surveillance requests in 2005 and 2006[PDF], rejecting none."

3 of 92 comments (clear)

  1. Not surprising by insanechemist · · Score: 5, Informative

    Reading up a bit: "The FISA Court did not reject a single warrant application from its beginning in 1979 through 2002. In 2003 it rejected four applications. In 2004, the number was again zero."

    --
    I thought it was a good idea
    1. Re:Not surprising by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Interesting

      Reading up a bit: "The FISA Court did not reject a single warrant application from its beginning in 1979 through 2002. In 2003 it rejected four applications. In 2004, the number was again zero."

      That's not necessarily a bad thing. It could be that the government only goes to the FISA court when they have solid evidence that supports a warrant. There isn't enough information available to determine what is going on with FISA.

      By comparison, most people who are charged with a crime are actually guilty - that's also a good thing. It means that most of the time, the police charge people with a crime when they actually committed the crime.

      Now, that doesn't mean that everyone charged with a crime is guilty; police do make mistakes, and certainly some police are corrupt. But most people charged with a crime are guilty. Would you rather live in a country where most people charged with a crime are innocent?

  2. FBI Spyware by gnutoo · · Score: 5, Funny

    I would just like to know, what could the FBI do to make it's spy ware different from anything else out there in the wild?

    Features

    • Plug in compatible with IRS 2.0
    • Hides from CIA version, dumps state, local and foreign clients.
    • Still works with punch cards left over from Operation Paperclip.
    • Used by more libraries and newspapers than any other client.
    • Unique money back promise.
    • Will only cost you your liberty.

    It's not really funny.