FBI Seeks To Legally Hack You If You're Connected To TOR Or a VPN

SonicSpike writes The investigative arm of the Department of Justice is attempting to short-circuit the legal checks of the Fourth Amendment by requesting a change in the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure. These procedural rules dictate how law enforcement agencies must conduct criminal prosecutions, from investigation to trial. Any deviations from the rules can have serious consequences, including dismissal of a case. The specific rule the FBI is targeting outlines the terms for obtaining a search warrant. It's called Federal Rule 41(b), and the requested change would allow law enforcement to obtain a warrant to search electronic data without providing any specific details as long as the target computer location has been hidden through a technical tool like Tor or a virtual private network. It would also allow nonspecific search warrants where computers have been intentionally damaged (such as through botnets, but also through common malware and viruses) and are in five or more separate federal judicial districts. Furthermore, the provision would allow investigators to seize electronically stored information regardless of whether that information is stored inside or outside the court's jurisdiction.

Comments

Re:If everybody would be sending CD's

[g0bshiTe]

That's what the government is in business for, "wasting taxpayers money" at one time they were in the business of governing.

Re:Bad idea

[mi]

I imagine corporations will fight back legally if/when their employees start getting hacked by the FBI.

Why would a corporation care? One must either have something to hide or be upset at unwarranted searches as a matter of principle to be bothered. And only the latter reason would drive someone to actively fight it — those with anything to hide will quietly (re)hide it elsewhere.

Though I don't share the disdain towards KKKorporations, that some people exhibit, I am not under an illusion, they'll make a principled stand on anything, that does not affect their bottom line either.

No, it is up to us, citizens — corporate CEOs included...